A Perfect Spoonful

I finished the layout that I mentioned in yesterday's post. Now I'm really (really) needing some ice cream. Sheesh.

Wordplay Challenge 13: Sensory Language

I'm currently working on a page about my favorite ice cream flavors, mint chocolate chip and very berry strawberry. I need to have one scoop of each in the same cup, so that a little of strawberry mixes with a little bit of mint and chocolate, forming the perfect spoonful. It's weird, I know, but it's just the way I like it. As I prepare to write the journaling for this page, I'll challenge myself to appeal to sight, taste, and touch.

This week's challenge is to use language to show, not tell. Describe a person, a place, an activity, or any subject, really, drawing upon your five senses to make your language as vivid as possible. Rather than say that something "smells good," share what you smell. Rather than say that something "tastes delicious," share what you taste. Rather than use words such as "pretty" or "beautiful," explain what you see. Be detailed. Be specific.

Wordplay Challenge 12: You Had to Be There

This week's challenge is to gather up all of the inside jokes, nicknames, memorable events, and the miscellany that define one of the special relationships in your life. I used this approach on a layout that I made about my friend Angie back in 2007. Here' s a close-up of the journaling on this page. I'm planning to put this approach to good use in one of my upcoming layouts.

Wordplay Challenge 11: What You See

This week's challenge is to document your surroundings -- no place too big or small, too neat or messy, too cramped or comfortable. Take it all in and jot down what you see. Capture the details that stand out to you.

Sorry about the delay...

It's been crazy around here lately. I'll try to update this weekend.

Wordplay Challenge 10: Top Ten

Today I've been thinking a lot about lists, as you can see in this post. This week's challenge is to journal in list form -- but not just any list. This list should build to a point. Whether you count down or count up, use your list to say what you want or need to say.

Wordplay Challenge 9: Old Business

It's March, which means that spring will soon be here, as will the whole spirit of spring cleaning. Before we look ahead to the new, though, it's time to acknowledge the old. This week, take care of some "old business":

something unresolved
something for which you are still seeking closure
something that revisits you in dreams
something that comes back to bite you in the butt every so often
something that needs to be put back into its box
some story left unfinished

You get the idea. The challenge this week isn't necessarily to resolve the unresolved or to give up the ghost, but to put the old business back on the table and address it directly. It's time.