My Favorite Hobbies

Hobby is a common word in my life, as I have so many of them.  I can remember my first boyfriend when I was 17 years old and I was so impressed by him because he was such a well-rounded person.  I always said, he knew a little bit about a lot and I strived to be like that when I became an adult.  He had so much knowledge, so many interests, and so many hobbies.  My family had a few hobbies as well that have rubbed off on me. I am a licensed therapist and high school counselor and I talk about hobbies all the time to my clients and students.  I feel that hobbies are so good for the soul.  It helps us to unwind, to practice mindfulness, to help us refocus, and to help us feel accomplished.  Below are a few of my favorite hobbies.

Wreaths

I am by no means artistic.  I actually struggle drawing a straight line and no I am not exaggerating.  My mom on the other hand was VERY ARTISTIC.  She has painted some of the most beautiful paintings I have seen and one of her favorite artists was Thomas Kinkade.  I did not receive those genes from her, but I did receive my creativity from her.  She taught me about color concepts, making floral arrangements, and so much more.  When I bought my home (it was my grandparents' house) 7 years ago I started to make wreaths for my home.  At the end of 2019, my mom passed away and I faced some pretty dark times to say the least.  I remember walking into Michael's the first time after she passed away to make two vertical swags for my house.  I felt so many feelings: sadness, joy, and excitement.  I almost felt guilty being there knowing it was my mom's favorite store and she was not there with me.  Once I made my swags, I felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness, something I had not felt in months.  It was then that I decided to try to sell my wreaths and I have been doing it ever since.  I can see how much my designs have grown from when I started and I am finally getting a hang of the business side of it.  But making my designs makes me feel like my mom is here with me and that I can show the world some things she taught me.  If you want to see more designs you can visit my Etsy page at divinebydesigns.etsy.com and find us on instagram at https://instagram.com/divinebydesignsllc

Cooking

My grandmother LOVED to cook.  She was Italian and would make so many delicious meals from scratch.  I can remember rolling meatballs with her at the age of 5, how perfectly she would cut and package her stained glass candy to give to my friends at Christmas, and how the house would have such,  amazing smells on a holiday.  I have learned many recipes from her and some of my favorites are making homemade pasta, sauce, vodka sauce, pesto, different types of pasta salad, and homemade pizza.  For deserts, I always make my grandmother's stained glass candy and my mom 's chocolate chip walnut cookies around the holidays.  These are only my favorites.  There are many many many more things I make.  And every summer, right before Labor Day I make sauce in my driveway with friends.  It is A LOT  of work but SO MUCH FUN!

Gardening

Then there was gardening.  All of the women in my family (My mom, aunt and grandmother) loved to garden.  My grandmother had a huge vegetable garden in the backyard when I was young.  Everything was laid out perfectly (she was a perfectionist).  She would have each row aligned exactly the same, row after row.  My mom and my aunt loved gardening too.  My aunt was the rose expert.  She had the most stunning roses on display in the middle of the front lawn when I was growing up.  She would tend to them nearly everyday and people would stop and stare at the beauty of her rose garden.  My mom loved what she called, her oriental rock garden.  She would set up water fountains, had a large hydrangea plant along with many others, and would collect rocks and continue to add it to the garden.  Then, my mom and I had our own garden that consisted of many different annuals like snap drags, portulaca, sweet alyssums, pansies, Johnny jump ups, and so many more.  Presently, I have a 50 foot by 7 foot veggie garden, many different flowering beds, and a smaller perennial garden that is a home for strawberries and asparagus.  Each year, I start my seeds under grow lights and watch them grow until they are ready to go outside.  I also run the gardening club at my high school and do the same with my students.

Resin Art

Resin art has become my newest hobby.  I am still learning, but have made some pretty cool things using both pigments and alcohol ink.  I have made paintings, coasters, pop sockets, and have even used resin to make designs on a lazy Susan, trays, and trays.  My next project is making a very large painting for my room but I am still deciding the style I would like.