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~✿

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

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~✿

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~✿

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!  

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~✿

Mandala Monday ~ Grandchildren

My sweet granddaughter and I made this mandala together when I went over to visit my daughter and grandchildren last week. What a joy they are to me! 💕

I found a couple of deflated balls in their garage that I thought we could use as makeshift bowls and then went around the yard with my granddaughter and gathered various blooms and foliage. She loves foraging! When she decided we had collected enough treasures, she went about laying hers out on the ground…

Here’s her layout…

Precious thing! 😍

As I began laying out what I had in my bowl, I explained to her that I was wanting to arrange mine in a symmetrical pattern, and she came over to assist. And she caught on right away. Making it symmetrical was a bit of a challenge, as we didn’t have equal numbers of the various flowers and the ground was bumpy and uneven, but it was fun and we were very pleased with our little creation.

My grandson had been busy splashing in the pool while my granddaughter and I created our mandalas, but he came over to ‘help’ when we were finished…

Sweet boy! He is so darn cute in his little swim diaper! 😍

And I have to share at least one picture I snapped of him playing in his little pool…

💦

I adore my grandchildren. 🥰 I’m so grateful to spend this time with them making mandalas and playing in the pool.  It’s the simple joys. 💕

 

Wishing you simple joys and many blessings in the coming week…

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

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~✿

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~✿

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~✿

Mandala Monday ~ Heart for the City

Some of you may know that I live in the city of Minneapolis, and you may have heard what has been going on here over the past week.  Some of it may now also be affecting your communities.

My heart has been so troubled… I can’t really even formulate the words to describe the range of emotions I’ve been experiencing, but grief, anger and fear have been at the forefront.

Grief over the death of George Floyd, grief and anger over the racism, hatred and injustice that exists in our world; and grief, anger and fear over all of the violence, chaos and devastation sweeping over my city right now.

I don’t have the answers or a solution of how to fix anything.  But I do believe that our thoughts and emotions have energy that expands outside of ourselves and affects the world around us.  So I want to take care with the type of energy and vibes I’m putting out.  I don’t want my grief, anger and fear to add any fuel to the literal flames going on around me – I want to radiate peace and love out into my community, and out into the world.

Even though I feel very small and powerless to change anything, I have to believe it makes a difference somehow.  I can shift my focus and take these actions…

“Lord make me an instrument of Your Peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow Love

Where there is injury, Pardon

Where there is doubt, Faith

Where there is despair, Hope

 Where there is darkness, Light

Where there is sadness, Joy

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console 

Not so much to be understood, as to understand

Not so much to be loved, as to love…”

That is what I was meditating on as I made this mandala ~ making it heart-shaped as my heart went out to my city.  And making it with Bleeding Hearts felt pretty perfect…

 

My deepest sympathy to the family and friends of George Floyd.  Peace and Love to all the people of my city, and in the world, who are hurting.

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿

Mandala Monday ~ Dandelions

Some say a weed, some say a flower

I say

dandelions shine like bright little stars scattered amidst a galaxy of green

warming my heart like the sun

 

Spiral of cheer

 

© Julie Rehnelt 2020

~

Rescued these bright little stars from going supernova by getting chewed up in my lawn mower over the weekend, and thought I’d create a mandala with them.  I was in the mood for a spiral…

What are you in the mood for on this Monday?

 

Wishing you warmth and cheer! 🌞

 

 

✿~Peace & Love~✿