The Active Mind

Happy Tuesday friends! Linking up with Elizabeth's Blog T Stands For Tuesday. 

The above photo was sent from hubby from work. The Sunrise is beautiful!

Drinking coffee at the moment and trying to finish this book. I bought the blanket from winners and i love it. It is warm and soft and has pumpkins all over it. Super cute.  

I love pumpkins! 🎃

This is a farm we visited last weekend and it has a chip truck and the fries are delicious! 

I  look forward to visiting in the Fall to get some pumpkins. 
🎃

Halloween things are at the mall already. 

✨

My sis-in-law lent me some vintage books and I think I will not be able to read them all but maybe I will read one and return them to her in October. 

Remember these back in the day?

let me know in the comments which one should I read?

I made this trail mix and I did not like the rolo bites but everything else was yummy. 

I think it is missing caramel popcorn. 

Friend Mail from my good friend Joy. 

Thank you Joy!

Bought a fun colouring book from the Dollar tree. 

Or it might of been the dollar store not sure. lol

I've been enjoying little things here and there and I hope you have too. 

Films and Movies I've been enjoying

Netflix 

ATYPICAL

The Middle

Season 1 & 2 Stranger Things

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast

I will Find You

Blackwater Lane 

Have a lovely rest of the week and thank you so much!

T Stands For Tuesday Solo Artists Date Sketchbook Fun!

                                  I thought it was Tuesday today! I don't know why, but I just did. 

Linking up to Elizabeth's Blog Hop T Stands for Tuesday

Went on a Solo Artist Date yesterday.

The same lovely cafe that I like. Had a iced coffee and macarons which were very delicious. 

Sketched and painted. It was a lot of fun. I walked there and walked back home which is one hour of walking. On the way back it is uphill so I definitely got a workout.

My sketchbook is the Leuchtturm1917

I started this one April 2025 and I am working my way through this one. 

*Feel free to use my code: MARIA for 20% off your purchase with 

https://www.leuchtturm1917.ca/

*not sponsored

Took a picture of the beautiful church.

Previous weekend 

Fog was so bad we had to turn around and go back home.

Snail Mail from my friend Yaya.

Thank you Yaya!

After the cafe I went to the Library and made a library card. 

I went into an art gallery and looked at lovely artwork. 

I came home and reflected on the Solo artist date in my notebook. 

It was a fun adventure. 

Hope you all have a lovely rest of the week!

We have a lot of rain today. Hope it's nice in your part of the world. 

Much love and peace,

Thank you so much and please subscribe to my blog.

Thank you kindly, 

T Stands For The Artist's Way & Solo Art Dates

Hello Friends! Happy Tuesday! Today I am linking up with Bluebird and Elizabeth's Blog

  T Stands For Tuesday

I am working through "The Artist's Way" and I am enjoying the process. I took myself on one solo art date but have missed three. I need to complete these tasks and maybe tomorrow I will succeed in this challenge. The only difficulty is that I live far from cafes, libraries and galleries. I am sure I can just go out in nature but it is still too cold here in Ontario. 

Hello Spring? Where are you? 

I can walk for 30 min to get to the shops or take Uber. 

I will try my best tomorrow and I will for sure let you know how it goes.

This was week one Solo Art Date and I had a lovely time! An iced coffee and also had a chicken sandwich and salad. I sketched and used watercolours. Truly fun. 

I painted two paintings for friends and I can't wait to show you them. 

I don't want to spoil their surprise so I will show you them after they receive them. 

I also finished my big yellow sketchbook and want to make a video going through each page. 

I will try to get that done soon.

NEW VLOG!

 

*Feel free to use my code: MARIA for 20% off your purchase with Leuchtturm1917 Canada.

I wish you all a lovely week

do things you love and things that make you happy.

Thank you for your visit to my blog and for your comments. 

I truly appreciate each one of you. 

Thank you,

Maria 

Movie Suggestion: "The Secret Garden" I watched it on Prime. Love it!

T Stands for Quietly Entering A New Year

 

Happy Tuesday wonderful friends! I had my mammogram yesterday and my scans are CLEAR! 

Thank you Lord!

On the weekend I was anxious because of yesterday.

I did manage to fill my journals with the month of February tabs and stickers. 

It was a lot of fun. I did all this at the couch area instead of the art room.

Also I got to spend time with my hubby which was really wonderful. 

 Linking up with Elizabeth's Blog Party T Stands for Tuesday

Recently I've been loving drinking smoothies!

Blueberry banana with milk and maple syrup and strawberry too. 

So good and refreshing!

I managed to put together my January vlog! 

This was a challenge but I did it. 

If you like have a look at the video. 

As for artwork the last pieces I worked on are the pastels. 

In progress I am working on Nicole's FFO portraits for Friday.

Today and tomorrow I will be continuing the FFO Portraits and I look forward to sharing them on my blog. 

Thank you all for all your wonderful comments.

Have a lovely rest of the week!

Maria 

London Fog Tea & Art

 Good Morning! It's a cold one here in Ontario. Like super cold I hate it. -14 but feels like -23! what? Noooooo I don't like it. I stay cozy and warm with my favourite tea at the moment and it is London Fog Tea. I am linking up with T Stands for Tuesday hosted by the lovely Elizabeth. 

Yesterday I took out my pastels and oh what fun I had! 

Lately I'm having a challenging time figuring it out what to draw and paint

I need more prompts,

Where do you go for finding prompts? 

using pastels is fun!

oil pastels on Canson Pastel Paper

 

Chalk Pastels on Canson Pastel Paper 

Both chalk pastels and oil pastels are messy to play with but so much fun. I will be playing with these today as well.  I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday and enjoy the rest of the week. I appreciate you all for your visit and thank you for your comments. It means a lot to me. 

Thank you! 

Maria

Weekly Arts & Crafts

 

Hello and happy Tuesday! 

Linking up to T Stands for Tuesday Hosted by lovely Elisabeth

&

Art Journal Journey hosted this month by the lovely Erika  with the Theme "What's Up"

What's Up with me...

I created my winter mood Board in the Art room,

It is always fun to put together a bunch of things that I like,

I enjoy using various fabrics, yarn, ribbons, pictures, postcards and handmade items like the felt heart.

I made a hanging heart with yarn

I do feel I need more practice with this because I tend to put too much yarn in one area than another but I do think the heart looks pretty. 

I created a pink felt heart and added glitter glue on the ends of it

I would like to make some with lavender and a lace trim in the future. 

A closer look at the winter Moodboard in my Art Room

Having a cuppa coffee. This is my daughter's cute mug.

Currently Reading and enjoying

A few stationary favourites on my desk

I use all of these daily in my journal

I love little stamps and would like to have more. They are fun to play with. 

One of my cats 

this is

Auggie

He is never amused only if it involves food. 

I hope you all have a lovely week,

thank you for your visit and your wonderful comments. 

Thank you,

Maria 

Junk Journal Art Weekly

 

Happy Tuesday! How are you all doing? Happy 2026!

I am doing good and looking forward to Junk journaling Art weekly. 

I am linking up with T Stands for Tuesday hosted by Elizabeth. 

I painted my cuppa with watercolour pencils in my mini sketchbook.

Along with other blog post ideas coming this month I hope to go slowly and smoothly into this year with no pressure. Just nice and easy. One day at a time. 

 I haven't worked at my desk since I got sick. I am better now and it has been so relaxing and fun.

I am so happy to be creating again. 

I will be exploring different mediums and working with various styles. 

I can't wait to share my process with you all. 

In my Junk Journaling process, I will be incorporating more writing and other elements in my journal pages. I look forward to more textures, colours and patterns. I look forward to mixing art with journaling and paper. A mixed media fun party!

I hope you are all well my wonderful friends. 

Thank you for reading my blog and being here. I am truly grateful. 

Have a wonderful day!

 

T Stands for January Free Printable

Happy Tuesday! How are you all doing?

The last few weeks of December were very challenging for me. I had two trips to the emergency and then my husband got the flu. He's been sick for almost two weeks now. I am feeling a little lost and feeling down but I hope that I will regain creativity again.

 I managed to make a free printable calendar on Canva for you if you like. 

See my creativity is slowly coming back! :) 

DOWNLOAD HERE

I also kindly received a new mug for Christmas. 

It has my initial and a little gingy man climbing up. 

 I love it so much.

 Since I've been unwell my enthusiasm for tea has lowered a bit, I do hope that changes. 

I do enjoy the one cuppa coffee in the morning. 

Linking up to T Stands For Tuesday hosted by the wonderful Elizabeth. Thank you Elizabeth!

Also over the Holiday I kindly won a few books from Women's Network, Simon Schuster Canada and Stack TV. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for your visit

Thank you for your comments

I truly appreciate you so much.

Have a very Happy New Year! 

Thank you!

Maria

My Vlog

Last vlog of 2025

Can't wait to make more videos in 2026!