Source: Blogging for Books
Since the trend of adult coloring books became popular, I have wanted one. I loved coloring when I was a little girl. My mom said I would happily sit and color for hours and hours when I was a kid, and I wondered if it would hold the same magic for me now.
One thing I am short on is time these days. Between taking care of W. and all the other myriad things that make up my day, by the end of the night I am burnt. Tired. Exhausted. I usually flop on the couch in my most comfortable jams and veg away to television. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy that too. But a few times this week I also colored while the television was on, and I found on those nights, I slept better. Easier. I usually fall out pretty quickly, but wake up a lot too. I figure I will do this forever now, wanting to check on the boy, but I did feel more at peace than I had for a while.
I loved the illustrations and quotations on every page of this book. The quotations themselves are from the bible, or from inspirational writers and bloggers, and even hymns. I am not super familiar with bible verses so I am learning as I flip through and color too. The reverse side of every coloring page is the bible verse or quotation in its entirety, along with the credited author or source. I used the nifty Crayola twistable crayons that my husband put in my stocking this Christmas, and I liked those too!
My first colored page. I chose this one because this is something I try to remind myself every day. W. has some complications due to his prematurity, and I spend a lot of time worrying about the little guy. I need to really focus on today, and try not to worry about the future.
I am doing this one next, because I like rabbits and forests. Lol. The quote itself is from a favorite hymn of fisherman from northern England around 1880, and is based on Psam 32:7.
Something we all need to remember, this is from blogger Emily P. Freeman, at EmilyPFreeman.com. She also has written a book entitled Simply Tuesday, which I have not read but may soon be reading.
Once you color a page, if you are so inspired you can link up to the instagram for this coloring book using the specific hashtag #whateverislovely (also good for Twitter, Facebook, etc). Another cool feature - this coloring book has a link to a playlist on Spotify. I am loving the social media incorporation, social media nerd that I am.
Overall, I love this coloring book! I didn't quite feel like I did when I was a kid, but I did feel like I could sit and color for hours if I could have. The illustrations and quotes were definitely peaceful and reminded me to be mindful, and to slow down - not everything is a race to the end of the day. I definitely recommend this coloring book to anyone who is wanting to give this new hobby a go, or to anyone who is already enjoying this popular new trend.
