The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago, Wisconsin

I visited a local farm store, that has fresh and frozen produce and meats, plus hot food, plants for sale, and other things. I went right before Easter, and there were baby chicks on display, and mammothly-huge rabbits. Check out the bunny in the picture above. He liked to lay on his back, and have his nose rub.

--Elizabeth

http://www.bluefizzure.com/

EAA Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

I visited the EAA museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin a couple of years ago. I was one of the few people there, as I went early in the morning, the day after Thanksgiving, while most people were still in bed from stuffing themselves with food, or were hitting the stores for bargains. There were a ton of cool planes, and their gift shop had neat things as well. My favorite display is in the photo above, the Spirit of St. Louis, in which Charles Lindberg made his solo, non-stop flight from the U.S. to Paris.

--Elizabeth

http://www.bluefizzure.com/

Door County, Wisconsin

I visited Door County in April of 2007, I believe. It was 75 degrees fahrenheit! I stayed at a small golf course in Sturgeon Bay, off the beaten path. The rates were unbelievable, included a round of golf per night stay, and was quiet. It had a restaurant there too, which had a fabulous Sunday Brunch. The photo above is from a park that had dunes down the road. You can stand above on the rocks, and hear the water making loud, deep "glug" sounds as the waves went in and out of caves below the rocks.

Also, a place has a Friday night art making event, and you can make anything, including painting a t-shirt, wine glass, or tile, or many other things. Door County is the ultimate getaway, especially when it's not-quite "season time". I go either in the beginning of November or middle to late April. Not everything is open, but enough is to beat the tourists and still have fun and have many restaurants to choose from. Or, you can pick up some nice groceries and stay at a place that has a small kitchen and stay in. I did this at a resort-type place in Sturgeon Bay, in November.

--Elizabeth

www.bluefizzure.com

A Visit to Doctor's Park

I visited Doctor's Park, in Foxpoint, Wisconsin, along Lake Michigan. It was very beautiful. Lots of cool rocks to collect, sand to walk in, and shady spots to stop and rest in. Built a neat zen pile of flat, black rocks like you see in those photos of someone having a hot stone massage. You can take your lighter-colored, flat rocks home and paint, color, etc. And put them around the base of your plants you have in containers.

--Elizabeth

http://www.bluefizzure.com/

A Visit To Chinatown in Chicago

I visited Chinatown for the first time a few years ago. It was really cool, like stepping into another country for a few hours. I had bubble tea (tea with large black tapioca pearls), got to see lots of cute Japanese toys, beautiful art, and ate dim sum. One shop had lots of smaller treasures that were reasonably priced. I also sampled some cake from a bakery, very light and fluffy, like and very airy.

--Elizabeth

www.bluefizzure.com

A Walk by the Lake

I live near a lake. It's so large that it feels like an ocean, because you cannot see across it (Lake Michigan). I visited around noon on a weekday, and it was perfect. Just a few people near the parking lot, but once I journeyed further, there was no one. It gave me the feeling i've always wanted to have, to live on my own private island. I pretended I was all alone, and I looked for cool stones and beach glass. Above is a picture of some of my treasures that I found.

--Elizabeth

http://www.bluefizzure.com/

A Walk in a Nearby Park

On my last adventure, I drove a short distance to a botanical gardens. I didn't actually go into it, but I walked near it, as there were many trails. After my walk, I stopped in the main building (free to go in) and got to check out displays and information on local wildflowers, composting, rain gardens, and other things. Their gift shop was open, so I meandered through there as well. I thought it was neat, as they had seed packets you could buy of local wildflowers (purple coneflower, etc). The above picture was of some flowers in front of the main building.

--Elizabeth

http://www.bluefizzure.com/

My Adventures by Myself

In case you're wondering, I really do adventures by myself. :)

I try to do them twice a week, sometimes more, and if life gets in the way, sometimes I only get to do once a week.

I have a bunch more ideas to post, but i'm afraid that maybe they might be overlapping each others.

So, I had an idea. I will post my own adventures here and there, and also post a picture from it as well. Pictures are always nice, right?

Thanks for reading.

--Elizabeth
www.bluefizzure.com

Try Out a Jung Typology Test

A month ago I visited the college from my undergrad, and found out that I could take a free Myers-Briggs Type Indicator evaluation. There weren't a ton of questions, so it didn't take too long. I then scheduled a meeting to go over my results. The person gave me some additional questions to clarify my answers, as some choices were very close in total to others.

I found the below fun online test, a Jung Typology Test. You might find it fun to see what type you are. You could borrow a book from your library on explaining the different types. My person gave me hard copies of my type, so I took them to a nice tree in the woods and read through them.

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

By the way, i'm an ISTJ (that was what was on my Myers-Briggs result, as well as the one above, so it looks to be pretty consistent).

--Elizabeth
www.bluefizzure.com

Visit a Bead Store

Check out a bead store in the area. If you've already done that, visit one you've never been to before. Or take a class. Explore all of the different shapes, colors, and sizes of beads. If you get inspired, ask for a "bead board" to borrow while you're in the store, and pick out ones to make a simple bracelet, necklace, or earrings.

--Elizabeth
www.bluefizzure.com

Visit an Observatory or Planetarium

Find a local observatory or planetarium, and check to see when it is open, or has a show that sounds interesting. Pretend like you are James Dean, in "Rebel Without a Cause" when his class goes to a planetarium. They are very cool. There is an observatory near my hometown that is absolutely beautiful, with ornate sea creatures on the outside, and it has a small gift shop and gallery, as well as a tour every Saturday morning.

Color in a Coloring Book

Go to a local art or toy store, and purchase a coloring book that "speaks" to you and looks fun and interesting. Buy the crayons if you don't have any. Go home, or in a park, or by a lake, and just color. Laugh. Have fun. You can also find tons of coloring books, and pages, online. One cool one is a mandala that you can print out. Since they are highly detailed, you'll need to use some nice colored pencils that are sharp.

100 Things that make you Happy

Write down one hundred things that make you happy. Mentally think of things, that one a scale of one to ten, that are a seven or higher. Keep adding to it, you do not need to stop at one hundred.

A Day of Silence

Many years ago, I discovered a cable/satellite station that had "A Day of Nothing" that played all day, usually on holidays like Christmas Day, etc. It had a scene and it played like you were there, and had some quotes that came up. For Christmas, it showed a cute little snow vehicle, plowing the wonderful streets in Switzerland. For another holiday, it had scenes from several beaches, that they taped, but did not change for at least 1/2 an hour. So you could watch like you were there, see people walking by, the waves lapping, and read the fun quotes. Quotes were things like, "you deserve to relax today" or had fun activities to do, like go and build a sandcastle.

A fun idea is to do your own "day of silence". Get unplugged. No technology (no phone, cell, blackberry, iPod, internet, computer, nothing with circuits or electricity). It's challenging at first, but oh so freeing.

Find a Fun Blog to Read

Do a search for fun, creative blogs, or any subject that you are interested in, or love. Read it, and find other ones that fill your creativity, bookmarking them in your Favorites.

100 Things You Love About Yourself

Grab a notebook, beautiful paper, or your sketchbook. Write down one hundred things that you love about yourself. Take your time. Embellish it if you wrote them on pretty paper or in your sketchbook. This is a great thing to do when you're feeling down or at a crossroads in your life. Re-read when you need a pick-me-up.

Estate Sales

Read a local newspaper (or go online to your local newspaper's website) and look for upcoming estate sales. Go early to see the offerings, and come back later to get great deals. You'll be amazed at what you can find at these.

Take a Non-Credit Class at a Local College

Check out your local colleges in your area for non-credit classes. Many things are offered, and you can even contact them with an idea for a class, and teach one yourself. Things include writing, painting, drawing, cooking, travel, geology, foreign language, etc. I took a glacial geology class, and we met one night to better understand more about the subject, then spent the following Saturday driving around the county, looking at drumlins and kettles. I got tons of brochures, maps, and resources for local parks and trails that i've not been to before, where I can go on future adventures by myself.

Massage or Facial

Check out a local beauty school that offers facials or massages for discount prices. Some of them have entire spa packages for several hours for less than a hundred dollars. Do something you've never tried before, or something that you feel like you need (such as a massage if you've been stressed out and have a lot of tension in your body). Go have a nice cup of herbal tea at a local shop afterwards.

Learn About Something New

Go to a large, local library, or bookstore. Or a small one. Look through and browse, and find a book on something you know nothing about, but find interesting. Grab a coffee and skim through if you're at a bookstore. If it's at a library, check it out and go to a quiet park or beach and read it.

Plan a Roadtrip

Find a place 1-2 hours from your home that you've always wanted to visit. It could be an art community with lots of fun shops, a park, a lake, etc. Go online and do some research, or mail for some guides. Go there for an entire day (or weekend!) by yourself, and explore. Many events and shops, etc are not always in guidebooks and on the Internet, so check out local newspapers when you get there. Feel free to change course and follow what attracts you. Play tourist. Ask locals where good places are to eat or have a nice coffee. Bring your camera and sketchbook!

Check Out Meetup.com for Ideas

Check out www.meetup.com for ideas. Either in your area, other places, or both. The site was designed for you to meet others and do interests you're into. But you can use it to think up new ideas of things you can do yourself, too.

A Culinary Experience

Give yourself a culinary experience. Go to a small chocolate store, and try a few pieces of chocolate you've not tried before. Go to an upscale grocery store, and buy some "samples" of different items from the deli. Go to a small restaurant and have a glass of wine and dessert. Or perhaps their "famous" soup or an appetizer you've not had before. Try a martini at a posh hotel that you've never tried before. Perhaps a chocotini?

Sketchbook Marathon

Pick a fun day to venture out, into another city, in your own living region, or anything else, and take your sketchbook with you everywhere. Spend the entire day sketching people, things, landscapes, etc. There are links on the web for this exact type of thing, check them out.

Browse Etsy

Go to www.etsy.com and try out their multitude of browsing options. Some are very creative, and you've probably not seen before. Look by genre, art type, etc. Find your favorites, and bookmark your favorite artists. Write conversations with your favorite ones, and tell them why you love their style, or specific art they have created. You'll need to register in order to communicate with them.

Go Cloud Watching

Find a book at the library on cloud types. This could be in the children's section, or under meteorology in the science area. Check it out. Go to a local park, seashore, or other place that you can easily view clouds. Bring a sketchbook, and sketch the clouds. Look up in the book you checked out, find the name of the type of cloud, and write it next to the sketch you make. You can make an entire "cloud book".

Find a Mentor

Find a mentor. The person does not need to be alive. It should be someone you've always been intrigued with, and admire. Go to a library, or bookstore, and read all about them. Jot down interesting ideas or things you read about. Do some searching on the internet for information on them. Watch their movies. Listen to their music. Write in a journal what it would be like to meet them, or go to lunch with them.

Date Yourself

Find a small, out of the way restaurant. Visit for lunch, or dinner, at a quieter time of day or evening. Perhaps one that you've not visited before. Bring a journal to write in. Go by yourself (of course!). Have a nice meal, or just a delicious appetizer, or just order a martini and a dessert. If it's a lunch, you could venture out to an art gallery. If for a late dinner, you could go to a movie by yourself after, or just go home and listen to some nice music and breeze through some beautiful photo books.

$10 Hardware Delight

Visit a local hardware store (Menards, Home Depot, Lowell's, or a local one) with only $10 in your pocket. Look through the entire store, and find and purchase things that you can make into an art project. Go crazy, use your imagination. You'll be surprised at what bizarre or interesting things you find. One idea is to visit the plumbing section, and find the very small plumbing white parts, paint, and make into a sculpture. Go home and let your creativity flow! Publish a photo on your artist blog you created.

Send a Care Package

Think of a nice, wonderful friend you have. Perhaps someone who has moved away that you haven't seen in a long time. Go to a dollar store, thrift store, or another place, and find things that are inexpensive but meaningful. Maybe make some origami animals to put in the care package box. Write some nice letters of things that bring you happy memories about the person, and put those in. Put small things in smaller boxes with notes. Of course, you could also put in hand-made items, such as a scarf you knitted, or some jewelry you created. Let your heart and soul guide you. Then ship or deliver to them.

Sidewalk Chalk

Buy some inexpensive sidewalk chalk at a dollar store. Take home, and cover your driveway (or sidewalk) with colorful designs, inspiring words, ideas, and thoughts. If it rains soon after, go out in the rain with an umbrella and watch the chalk flow away.

Visit Your Old Tree Houses & Forts

Do you remember where your old tree houses and forts used to be? If so, and if they are readily available without trespassing, go visit them. Take a camera and/or sketchbook. Or, go back to your old school, whether grade, junior high, or high school. Check out the equipment. Has it changed? Go back in time. What did you think about back then? Swing, climb, look for rocks. Enjoy.

Find a Pond

Find a small pond that you can visit. You could bring a small boat (if permitted) to sail on it. Or you could bring a small net and dip into the water, and see what comes up. Bring your camera and take pictures of all kinds of nature and critters you see. Be like Beatrix Potter, and make some botanical sketches like she used to do.

Beauty Treatment

Go to a local drug store, bath/body store, or health food store. Find an item that "calls to you" spa-wise. It could be for your skin, hair, nails, feet, etc. Facials, foot soaks, warming body lotions, nail soaks are all great ideas. Go home, put on some nice music, light candles, and give yourself a nice pampering.

Write an Old Friend

Go to a stationary or art store, find some beautiful paper, and perhaps a neat ink pen. Write a letter to an old friend. Make their day.

Nature Trails

Go to google and find nature trails in your area. Pick one you've never been to before, or a favorite one. Bring your camera, sketchbook, pencils, etc.

$5 Thrift Store Visit

Find a local thrift store, including one you've never been to before. Near where I live, we still have some old-fashioned ones that make you feel like you've stepped back in time. The dollar stores work well too. Spend only $5 on things that you could do something creative with. Then go home and do it!

10 Books

Pick 10 of your own books and just breeze through for a couple of hours. You'll be amazed at what you "rediscover" about them. This works great when they have lots of photos in them. You could also do this at the library, or a local bookstore, when they aren't very busy. Find 10, go find a quiet place, and take a mental vacation.

Plant Something

Plant something, it doesn't have to be an entire garden. Go to a local greenhouse and buy some seeds and colorful pots that you love. Go crazy. Don't follow any rules.

Museum Exhibits

Make a list of "favorites" of local museums. Check for new exhibits. Check them out and have fun.

Magazines

Start a pile of magazines. Your own, ones friends gave to you, ones that places throw away (libraries, book sales, and rummage sales tend to have very inexpensive ones they want to get rid of, also check Half Price Books). Go through, and clip out all the images you love. Put them in a large sketchbook, or on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. If the latter, you can organize them into binders by topic. Look through them when you're feeling restless.

Visit a Music Store

Visit a music store. This could be a place that only sells CD's, or another type that has musical instruments. Look at all of the artwork on the covers of CD's. Be amazed at the different types of drums. You can ask questions if you want to know more. You could buy a recorder or a type of inexpensive instrument, like a small drum, to take home, and play some new age music to, and play along, with some lovely lamps lit and perhaps some candles.

Podcasts

Download iTunes to your computer. Type in a music genre or other type of interest, followed by "podcast". You can download all kinds of free podcasts, including jazz, new age, nature sounds, motivational speakers, and meditations.

Visit a Fabric Shop

Visit a fabric shop. Take time to look, touch, and absorb all of the different textures and colors. Take some swatches home if you feel the desire. Some stores have small quilting squares that are already cut. You could pick out your favorite colors, or colors that combine to give you a feeling of a place (example: pick "beach" colors). Take home, and stitch the colors together to make a cool throw, altar cloth, or covering for a shelf or table.

Start an Artist Blog

Start your own artist blog.

What do you do with it?

• Put in links to your favorite artists, upcoming art fairs, etc.
• Type artistic thoughts
• Put up your photos from your artist adventures
• Write down your thoughts about different art mediums

The possibilities are endless!

Workspace

Create a workspace in your home for your creative dabbling.

A great idea to do this is if you have a room in your home that just has lots of unnecessary junk in it, is to get rid of it all, and start fresh. Only put things in the room that you love and would help it to make a wonderful studio.

If you do not have a room in your house that you can spare for creativity area, create a small area. This can be accomplished by buying one of those large "tubs" in a cool color from a place such as Target. Put all of your creative things in it. Or have a colorful tub for each of your "interests". That way you can bring each one out and work on a project, and put it neatly away.

Make the room wonderful by having music you love, delicious incense burning, a lovely lit candle, or nice lamps with beautiful lighting.

Just One Hour

Set a timer, stop watch, alarm clock, etc, for an hour. Use the time to do something you've been putting off.

Examples:
Cleaning out a closet
Organizing magazines
Reading magazines
Throwing out junk and clutter
Tagging things for a rummage sale

Although these seem like things that aren't particularly creative or happy, the end result will make you feel so much better and clear your mind. Anything in your life that is unfinished keeps piling up in your mind, and using up valuable energy, making you feel drained.

Documentary

Go to an interesting upcoming event, take your camera, and do a documentary on it with your photos.

CD's at Library

Visit a local library and check out CD's that interest you. Put in a CD player (portable) and go for a walk in nature or another place that you'd like to go. Or go home and listen.

Visit an Art Store

Look online or your yellow pages for an art store that you've not been to yet. Spend time exploring.

University Libraries

Photo courtesy of bluefizzure

Check out a local university library. I live near the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and searched for our local University-Wisconsin library. They have an entire rare collection that you can see if you go there, including things like Charles Lindberg's flight map when he made his legendary non-stop trip to Paris. So check out some local, non-public libraries. Most will even allow you to check out books if you have a library card at a local public library (but you might need to get a separate one for the university library). I also noticed a large, online virtual collection of antique photos, including ones of the city, aircraft, vehicles, maps, etc.