The New Year is here. I’m really excited about this year. More traveling… more vacations… more rest and relaxation… more time with family and friends… more time for self-care days… more fresh ideas to explore… more time to create delightful things and delicious foods… more new and fun projects… more of the things I love… How can I not be happy about 2022… and looking forward… I’m too excited about the years beyond…

In the previous years, including 2021, I traveled quite often with my family. We thoroughly found pleasure in ’road trippin.’ We mostly drove, navigating through back roads, small towns and cities to take in new spaces and places. To see life come alive from different vantage points, and to be more up close and personal with our surroundings. Sometimes our trips were a little longer driving on the back roads, but they were absolutely worth our time. I’m ready for more travels this new year, with my family and independently. My family and I really appreciate the fun and memorable moments we share together while on the road. We also find joy in simply being in company with ourselves. Both experiences are gratifying and revitalizing…

As much as I love to travel, I’ll be off the road at times to start new projects and to complete existing ones. A few or more of my projects this new year will require me to be on the road. But my creative workspace, where I begin to put in concrete form my ideas, is usually in a space, either indoors or outdoors, where I can breathe, let go and truly explore further my intentions and material concepts. Some of these spaces are spontaneously found, while others are spaces and places already known.

I was on the road bringing in this new year. My family and I were traveling and just enjoying time away. While in the car I was thinking about the current project I am working on for Unif(eyed) Colors Campaign. If you haven’t already learned about my project, it’s the creation of my plant based, hand knit beanie hats. Since working on my knit beanies in 2020-2021, I now have quite a colorful collection. You can see most of them, if not all, I have already made in my on-line store at danarondel.com or just visit my Instagram or Pinterest page, found under just danarondel. It’s been fun making my hand knit beanies. Coming up with different designs and combining colors is interesting. I’ve also gotten some ideas regarding color combinations and designs from others, which you’ll see too. Playing with color by itself does something amazing to our brains. Bright and soft colors are uplifting and calming. They are intriguing and captivating. And touch is quite rejuvenating to our senses as well… Working with my organic, plant based yarns has given me a great feeling and sense of well-being overall. Perhaps, it’s why this blog is about more than wearing hats.

I don’t wear hats every day, yet I love to wear them to further accessorize an outfit, including when I am in casual dress. Sometimes, it’s my hat that makes the boldest statement when I’m dressed. Usually, it’s because of the color and//or design of my hat. As stated earlier, I thought more about my hats, particularly my hand knit beanie hats and their significance, while my family and I were on the road. I really do love the sight, tones and feel of the plant based yarns I am using. The tactile experience I am having with my yarns causes me to enjoy more making chic, knit beanies and getting to wear them. I too am deeply inspired by such a vibrant and delicate work of fashionable art. The added benefit of my knit beanies are—they are easy to pack and light to carry for those like me who love traveling.

What is this blog really about… Is it about my New Year plans. Is it about traveling or road trippiin’… is it about making knitted hats, specifically, chic, plant based, knit beanies in vibrant and soft colors, simply and beautifully designed. Truthfully, this blog is about all of this and a little more… I was compelled to write this piece to mostly say, I pray your New Year is a special and joy-filled one. I hope you get to travel and explore life a bit more. I wish for you many more memorable moments with family and friends, and you get to do more creative and fun things. I also want to say, those who love hats as much as I do, the hats I’ve made are more than just hats to me. They are indeed a work of thoughtful creation… conceptual art made into material form. They are for the purpose of up-lifting your mind, raising your hands, the vibration(s) of your heart, by just putting one of my hats on your head and bringing out of your presence a soft smile and sense of intrigue. Don’t forget how much more fashionable they’ll make your attire. This, at least, is the view from my vantage point. Make it a hatty day… In other words, make it a happy day, every day.

Happy New Year. BIG SMILE.

We have the capacity and potential to always be a blessing in our own lives, in the lives of others and in this magical and magnificent world of ours…

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biashedo™ ~ My Universe Is Friendly… Inside and Out… And So Is Yours… The Macro… and The Micro… Grace… Love… Prosperity… Always sending forth light and love… :o)

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