EXPLORE

1) to traverse or range over (a region, area, etc.) for the purpose of discovery

2) to look into closely; scrutinize; examine
3) to investigate into
4) to search for; search out
5) to engage in exploration 

Every year I use January as my "ramp up" month, where I flush out all the ideas, wants, hopes, needs, and dreams I have for the year ahead. The aim is to "have it altogether" by my birthday...the beginning of "my year". Today I looked back at my New Year's resolution post (you can read RESOLVE here!), and I recalled how my focus for January was to keep things simple. January was used to set the precedent for the year: life is simple, savor the day, the joy is in the journey, etc. After a month of focusing on my "be here now" mantra, I let myself use February to EXPLORE. 

Here I am at 24 with so many amazing experiences in my memory's catalog -- and so much in front of me that I can't help but jump out of bed each morning with excitement. In February explored hot yoga, aerial arts, painting, new relationships (did I mention HMG hired two new girls?!), Yakima, sleeping in, new blogs, the rave scene, new books, pushing myself, new firsts, new recipes, old traditions, and more. I let exploration manifest itself in big and small ways, which was a good challenge in keeping an open mind. 

One fun way I explored February was with my Instagram app, capturing my life one small frame at at time. So here is a visual look at my EXPLORING. 

February photo challenge daily topics (L to R, top to bottom):

Day 1: lockscreen photo - a favorite photo from our first time at the batting cages (yes -- that was a Groupon!)

Day 2: best friends - my sisters are two of my very best friends. 

Day 3: outfit of the day - the outfit I wore to my first aerial hoop class

Day 4: role model - my cousin Deanna, as well as Malone women in general 

Day 5: current favorite song - I really cannot get enough of the contrast of Calvin Harris' dance beat and Florence Welsh's haunting voice in Sweet Nothings   

Day 6:  food - this is my daily breakfast at work

Day 7: selfie

Day 8: pet - I miss the best dog ever, RIP Draven

Day 9: smiles - with the beautiful smiles of my sisters

Day 10: quote - this was a gift from my little and it says "though delicate they may seem...your wings are much stronger than you know... SO FLY"

Day 11: black and white - the hounds tooth pattern from one of my dresses

Day 12: screen shot - while this term generally applies to phones, I was slammed that day and I had no time for my phone...

Day 13: someone you love - this OF COURSE is my momma bear

Day 14: my valentine - 5 years running

Day 15: handwriting 

Day 16: something new - I loved this stained glass window panel (although I did not actually buy it)

Day 17: weather - we truly lucked out with warm weather and stunning blue skies while we were in Yakima

Day 18: breakfast - complete with my NEW favorite mug that was a birthday gift

Day 19: mirror pic (ah! you caught me wearing a blazer...again)

Day 20: outside - this was the view from under my new umbrella (thanks sister!)

Day 21: fashion - I keep up on fashion trends by watching the ever-changing downtown storefronts 

Day 22: special moment - is ADORABLE gender reveal was for my coworker (and FAVORITE blogger)  

Day 23: family - this picture quality may not be the best, but the memory from my shore-side dinner in Laguna Beach with my cousins is perfect

Day 24: celebrity crush - this really requires no explanation 

Day 25: jewelry - this statement piece was a gift from my mother 

Day 26: bedroom - just a peak into my sanctuary 

Day 27: night time

Day 28: favorite candy - I miss Reeses because I gave up candy (among other things) for Lent! 

The word for next month is TACKLE. February pulled a fast one on me as I enjoyed exploring it's days, and now I have many things that need accomplishing before this month's end.

DAB

1) to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or wet
2) to apply (a substance) by light, short strokes to the surface
3) to strike, especially lightly, as with the hand

(Dabbing, in an artist's vocabulary, refers to applying paint in layers which contributes to the flickering effect of impressionist works.)

Again thanks to Living Social, I had the change to try out a wine and painting class. These things seem to be all the rage recently, so I definitely wanted to give it a shot. In high school, Jo and I took an art class together, so I thought it would be fun to reminisce -- this time with wine.

The adorable little studio is located in West Seattle (yes I know, everything in West Seattle is adorable and cute -- and this place is no different!), and is called Mind Unwind. Our class fee provided us with a complimentary refreshment (from the Treehouse Lounge upstairs), materials, and a 16 x 20 canvas. The theme of our painting was "Seattle Starry Night", after the famous Vincent Van Gogh piece. Its like they read my mind! I love it!

I will be the first to admit -- I am no artist. In fact, I was a little intimidated to go with Jo because she is much more artistically inclined. But once I saw the sample painting I was relieved because the content was simple. The creativity comes with the way in which you stroke and dab the paint on your canvas. 

We started out with a baseline sketch of our skyline, mapping out where we want our swirls, starts, and moon. From there it just became a matter of mixing and shading with our color pallets. Acrylic is fun to work with because it dries fairly quickly, allowing you to adjust your colors however you would like by dabbing on lighter or darker colors (it also allows you to fix your mistakes easily, as you can fully paint over what you don't like).

Overall, I found the experience to be lots of fun, and surprisingly relaxing. I was actually proud of my final product (this is rare with anything artistic I do!), and it is now hanging up in the hallway of my house. It was challenging for me to step out of my comfort zone, and explore the world of painting -- but once I did I found that I am interested in exploring this new world more. Maybe I am DABBING my way towards a new hobby?