Category Archives: Art

Mandala Monday ~ Strawberries

Sometimes I like to play with my food 🙃

I’ve really been enjoying my little patio container of strawberries this year. It’s such a lovely, delightful little pot, and I’m getting so many berries on it – more than ever before!  It’s an ever-bearing variety, so it’s been non-stop since spring.

Tiny, but tasty! 🍓

And the bright, hot pink blooms are so beautiful..

This is from earlier this spring…

And this is from this morning…

I’ve got to keep an eye out for the pesky squirrels who like to snatch them just as they’re ripening. Those theiving little beasties!

I also have a little strawberry plant that my granddaughter and I started from seed back in March of 2020 when she had her last sleepover just before the big C burst onto the scene here in the US.  It too has been getting tiny berries on it…

I arranged this on my potting bench the other day using some of the berries from that plant while thinking of my sweet granddaughter…

She’s getting so big…

And so is my grandson…

Gosh, how time flies… we’ve really got to cherish each moment, don’t we. 💕

 

May your Monday be filled with sweet moments…

 

~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ It’s Been a While

Life is a wheel

constantly turning

ever-changing

staying the same

 

Around and around

right side up

upside down

perspectives in flux 

 

But the Center never moves

 and for that I am truly grateful

 

 

© Julie Rehnelt 2021

20210711_212521

Hi friends, it’s been a while! I hope this finds all of you well and that you have beauty and joy and love in your lives!

Things have been extremely challenging for me recently, but in this moment I am ok, filled with gratitude. 🙏

I haven’t been feeling as creative as I usually am, but I have made a few nature mandalas since I was here last and thought I’d share them with you.

My garden is a bit lacking this year, so I haven’t had as much to work with, but I’m sincerely appreciating and enjoying what I do have.  I just harvested some yellow beans from my veggie garden and they were actually what sparked the inspiration for the mandala above. Here it is with the beans…

😁

And here is a mandala I made a couple weeks ago…

And a few others…

I also made a little mini wreath one day just for kicks…

I used peppermint for the base and it was very fragrant!  I’m so grateful for my sense of smell.  And for all my senses.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. I gotta go get ready for work.  Thanks so much for letting me share!  I hope this brightens your day in some small way! 🌼 May it be happy and blessed, and may the wheel of life spin you in beautiful directions today!

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Welcome March

I thought I’d share another diamond painting I did. I love the open flower burst look and the colors of this one.

I also love when the first of a month falls on a Monday.  I think because it feels like even more of a new beginning or something?  🙃

 

Wishing you a bright and happy Monday and March 1st!  May beautiful things come your way!

 

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ More Diamond Painting

Another diamond painting I did.  I’m a huge fan! I love the blue and the design. I really wish the sparkles could be captured.

Guys, this could easily become a new addiction. Oh well… there are worse things. 🤷‍♀️😉

I hope you’re all keeping well.  Despite the recent snow (and March typically being our snowiest month) here, I sense spring approaching.  I’m hearing more and more little birds twittering outside.  Such a delightful and welcome sound! 💕

 

Happy Mandala Monday! Wishing you things that bring you joy today!

Tweet! 🐦

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Diamond Painting

I’m still dabbling in all things mandala related over here. This is a diamond painting I did recently…

 I didn’t create the design, nor did I come up with the ‘diamond’ placing, but I sure enjoyed it!  Because who doesn’t enjoy activities that include a kaleidoscope of colors and sparkly things?! 🥰

Unfortunately, this picture doesn’t really show just how sparkly it is.  I was only snapping a quick picture of it to show it to my sister because she is the one who gave me the little kit for Christmas and I wanted her to see it all finished.  I have three other kits she gave me as well, so perhaps I’ll share those too once I finish them.  And I’ll try to snap better pictures next time! 😉

 

Wishing you a day full of beauty and joy!

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Mon…oops it’s Wednesday! 🙃

The yellow squash I used in this mandala sorta remind me of an old-time airplane propeller.  And that’s a bit how I feel lately… Round and round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows… But it might be on a Wednesday!  🙃

Here’s a version without the propeller…

🏵

 

Hope you’re all doing well. May you be propelled into beauty and joy this week!

 

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Garden Things

Over the past week or so, as I’ve been harvesting nice little handfuls of beans each day from my veggie garden, I’ve felt the idea forming to include them in one of my mandalas.  Since they have a slight curve to them, I was feeling a ‘pinwheel’…

In addition to the green beans, I also added herbs of basil (which I’ve allowed to go to flower for the bees – even though I stole them from the bees by picking them oops) and lavender; along with coleus, impatiens, and a bright gazania for the center.  So simple, but I love how it turned out!  Especially against the rustic look of the wood of my potting bench.  Rustic = needs a power wash and stain.

Here’s another variation without the beans and impatiens and using a yellow zinnia for the center…

 I like using my potting bench for laying out my mandalas because it’s easier and it’s more comfortable standing than squatting to the ground – I can’t really kneel on my ‘bionic’ knees.  But I actually prefer making them on the ground.  I like the vibes better, it feels like more of a natural expression and less of a ‘display’ and I like feeling more connected to the earth by sitting on the ground.

But don’t get me wrong… I enjoy making mandalas no matter where I am.  And I will make them in a house, and I will make them with a mouse, and I will make them here or there, I will make them anywhere!  

Cat in the hat emoticon

And with any thing –  I really like the idea of using my veggies and herbs for my mandalas. The more shapes, textures, colors, and scents, the more fun. I see more of these kinds of mandalas in my future…

 And also in my past…  Earlier this spring when I was harvesting my peas I played around with them too out on my potting bench and made a few mandalas, but I never got around to sharing them.  Sugar Snap peas (so yum), rosemary sprigs, cedar, clovers and heliotrope, with a chive for the center…

And then I switched out the chive for a yellow zinnia for the center and added orange/red impatiens which really brightened it up…

I love bright things!  Although, I actually prefer the look of the first one between these two.

I wish there was a way to preserve my mandalas (other than just with a photograph), but I guess that’s what makes creating them a good meditative tool – they keep you focused on enjoying, appreciating, and absorbing the present moment.

 

 

Wishing you many enjoyable and beautiful moments to absorb in this coming week, and as always…

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Fruit Pizza

This week’s Mandala Monday is brought to you by… the fruit pizza I made for the 4th. 🎆

Of course I had to use the opportunity to try and create a mandala design out of it  😉

I’m not sure how I feel about the design, but it sure tasted yummy!

 

Hope your week is filled with yummy things!

😋

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Midsummer

“Flowers are the music of the ground

from earth’s lips spoken without sound”

~ Edwin Curran

Gosh, I love the idea of that quote!

🎶🌼🎶

I created this week’s mandala on midsummer using some randoms that are flourishing in my garden right now.

Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for my humble little outdoor space?  SO very!

🌱

Here are a few other snaps I took during the process…

And here is the full view of the shot at the top of this post, uncropped…

Of course, my feet!  😁  Toes unpainted as of yet this summer, but still so happy ~ especially in the garden!

 

May your feet lead to happy places this week! 👣

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1

Mandala Monday ~ Welcome Summer!

Warm, bright color

round like the sun

tangy citrus

creative fun

 

Welcome summer!  🌞

 

© Julie Rehnelt 2020

There’s something about citrus that speaks summer to me. It’s so bright and sunny!

The idea for this mandala sort of just fell into my lap. In looking for something creative to do for the summer solstice, I came across an idea for making suncatchers using dried orange and lemon slices and I thought it would be a fun activity for my mom and I to do together.  As luck would have it, a neighbor had stopped by with a huge sack of oranges a couple weeks ago and we needed to use them up. I had planned on juicing them, but dehydrated them instead.

We didn’t use them all for our suncatchers, so I went out to my potting bench the next day and made a mandala with them.  Just as I finished, it began to rain, so I snapped a quick photo, gathered up my dehydrated slices (before they rehydrated 😉) and ran inside. So it’s beauty was fleeting – such is life, but I still enjoyed creating it very much!

 

Oh, and here’s the suncatcher I made…

You can’t really tell from the picture, but it’s VERY happy!

😁

 

Wishing you a happy week!

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Peace and Love 1