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In case you haven't noticed lately I've been coloring A LOT!    And I absolutely love it. It's so enjoyable and relaxing.  In a way it's mindless but it still requires a decent amount of concentration and focus.  I wanted to show you some of my favorite books and pages lately....

This first one is sooooo neat! It's the Look Up Coloring Book and inside are such unique and intricate pages to color!

There are some really silly and simple pages which are nice when I don't have much time and don't want to figure out a color scheme.

And then there are unique almost dream-like pages.  I love coloring those types!

The pictures are all inspired by new perspectives on things.  I love the unique patterns mixed in with realistic everyday items or objects. 

On days where I'm feeling fancy I get REALLY INTO coloring in The Little Mermaid Coloring Book (based on the Hans Christian Andersen story). I've always loved mermaids and I enjoy coloring people so this is the best of both worlds.

I love giving each of the mermaid sisters a different look.

This book is one of the most beautiful I've colored in.  It has awesome fish and seashells to color and I love how it tells the story on each page.   I get really into the scales when I color in this book, as you can see!

This one is the Ultimate Coloring Classic Pinups book and I am in love with this new way of adding color.   I wasn't sure what to do at first but quickly realized using two shades of the same color makes it look AMAZING!

It seriously looks like the painting!!!! I can't believe how much I enjoy this book.  It's really cool because I've always loved pinup girls and now I get to color them in!

See how I did more shading in that one?   It's super easy and fun.  

If you need some more gift ideas for people on your list and you know they enjoy coloring - definitely check these coloring books out! I'll share more of my colored pages as I fill them in!

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Conservation + Coloring = The Perfect Hobby

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Ever since I was a little girl I have always cared about the environment.  I remember a time when I started my own club called the Earth Savers (I was the only member) and since I wasn't old enough to drive (lol) I wondered how I could do anything to help clean up the Earth.  So I started walking up and down my street picking trash (even cigarette butts!) up off the street and putting them in a brown lunch bag to throw away. Sometimes I see kids doing stuff like this nowadays and it makes me so happy. Conservation of species and natural resources are two very important things that we should make a priority during our lifetime. 

Another thing I really enjoy doing these days is coloring.  So recently I had the best of both worlds when I got this You Can Save the Earth Coloring Book!

This coloring book is so cool and it would be great even for kids!  It's very educational, beautiful, and fun.  It does a great job of inspiring environmental appreciation and focusing on the importance of sustainability.  Our planet is so fragile and we need to start caring much more than we currently do. 

 

The book has two sections.  One section explains 7 reasons why it's so important to take care of the earth, explaining how we are all connected, and how important every aspect of the planet is.  

The second section details the ways in which we can focus on conservation and sustainability in our everyday life.  The pictures combine human things like electric cords with natural things like trees and flowers.  It's so beautiful and educational.  I wish they had kids color in these types of books in elementary school.  I think it would make a major impact at a younger age. 

I love some of the quotes you'll find throughout the coloring book and I plan on tearing some of these pages out and displaying them at my cubicle at work. 

I highly recommend this book (it's only $9.95) for anyone and everyone.  It would be a great stocking stuffer or gift idea for virtually anyone on your list that enjoys coloring and being creative.  You can purchase it here from Hatherleigh Press.

Coloring is such a great hobby for myself now that the weather is cold and it gets dark so early.  I no longer can sit out on my screened in porch or work in the yard so I need something to do to pass the time but also to keep me from mindlessly eating in front of the TV, one of my worst habits!

Coloring has helped me relax after stressful days and it lets me embrace my creative and colorful (literally) side! If you are like me and you want to find an affordable and enjoyably low key hobby, you should definitely try coloring!

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Coloring & Fashion (+ A Giveaway!)

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Recently I started coloring.  Yes, that's right. Adult coloring books are all the rage the last few years and I think it's a great way to relax and unwind plus it keeps me occupied and I don't mindlessly stuff my face anymore in front of the TV.  Sometimes I use markers and sometimes I choose colored pencils.  Sometimes I even mix both.  That's the beauty of coloring - you can do whatever you want.    And who would have thought that you could combine a love of fashion AND coloring until now!   I recently got Color in Fashion from Alecia Blake Studios. It's available on Amazon and man does it have some beautiful pictures to color!

Alecia Blake is an amazing illustrator whose work includes fashion art, children's books, and whimsical and humorous cartoons.  I love her style!! What a genius idea to offer a coloring book! Here's some of my work.  I used Crayola markers for now since I don't have the money to get anything fancies. Still, I'm pretty satisfied with how it all turned out. 

I love coloring people when I'm really in the mood to get creative.  And getting to color an outfit is even better. This is my favorite page in the whole book and I love how it turned out!

This is a work in progress but I love the details in the blouse on this person!

This one isn't colored yet but I wanted you to see what some of the options are throughout Alecia's book.  I love all the detail and if you feel overwhelmed you can leave some of it unfinished or even leave some of it white so that there's less for you to have to color.

The mix of style and patterns is just so impressive.   And the illustrations are very creative and fun!

This was another favorite.  I love the adorable bathing suit but also love the mixture of animals and seashells!  See how I left the ocean white AND blue? That way I don't have to color in a large area but you still see what it is.

I loved this page because I love Fall and the fashion during this time of year so it was perfect for me to color. It's actually the first one I did. 

Seriously this is my favorite type of coloring book because I feel like a fashion designed selecting colors for my clothing line.   I love being creative with that type of stuff and it actually gives me inspiration for my own wardrobe and what to pair with a certain style or color.   This is one of my favorite coloring books ever and I'm so excited to show off more colored pages with you guys!


And today, I've teamed up with Alecia to host a giveaway for one of you to win the Color in Fashion coloring book! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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So What's the Deal with Adult Coloring Books?

If you are on social media at all these days, I'm sure you've seen at least one person post about adult coloring books.    They are becoming a big deal again now because it's being said by medical professionals that there are lots of benefits to coloring.   

It's true though...have you ever seen kids coloring? They are so pleasant and focused.  They can listen to what's going on around them even though they are paying attention to their picture.   And afterwards they have a great sense of pride and accomplishment when their picture is done.

Coloring can connect you back with thoughts and feelings of your childhood when life was more carefree and laid back.   It's also a great stress reliever because it keeps your mind busy and it's relaxing physically.   Coloring helps me focus better, as odd as it may seem.

  When I'm coloring it's mindless for me so my brain ends up tuning into what's around me like what's on TV or a webinar I'm listening to.   

But see, when I'm coloring or doing a fun mindless activity I tend to do some really weird things that drive my boyfriend nuts.

For starters, I babble like a fool.   I'll repeat things I hear on TV but I say them in a goofy voice. I make weird sounds, I hum songs that don't exist and sometimes I just randomly scream.

I'm not kidding dude. I am WEIRD!

NOT coloring I do some really obnoxious things.  I babble and babble

Coloring also is a fun hobby that involves being creative when you try to decide on different colors and patterns to follow.  When's the last time you got to be creative with pencils, markers, or crayons!?   So I have two different coloring books - one is an animal book and the other has vintage patterns and designs!

I love the beautiful designs and I can't wait to figure out what colors I want to use and what patterns I want to follow.  It kind of reminds me of designing fabric so I'm going to pretend I'm a famous designer! See, I'm already using my imagination!

[I do have this problem though where I start to color things then I stop and go to a new page so I end up with all these unfinished pages which is kind of funny. I used to do that as a kid too.]

I would make these little books by folding printer paper in half and stapling it in the middle. I'd start writing a story but I'd stop half way through. My mom  always pointed it out and we laughed. Now, when I go through my boxes of stuff and I see them I laugh even harder. 

{{I'm freakin' weird man.}}

I'm so excited about the animal coloring book because I love animals to begin with but I've always enjoyed the decorative patterns, bubbles, and shapes that artists use inside of animal decor for houses, etc.

I can tell you already that from the few pages I've done I really really enjoy it. And don't say you're bad at coloring. I mean honestly, it's not hard to stay in the lines as an adult. You can use markers, crayons, or colored pencils. I like colored pencils just because they are a bit more precise, at least for me.

I will be sharing my finished colored pages on social media so be sure you follow me so you can see them along the way!

Honestly, coloring is so relaxing. I do it all the time now and I really enjoy the challenge of trying to use just the right colors so it all looks perfect...well atleast to me!   I remember why I loved coloring so much as a kid...it was just a great way to relax but still be doing something so I wasn't bored.    This is one trend that I'm proud to join in on!

Have you joined the Adult Coloring Book craze yet?

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