Christal Kelly

Create, Love, Laugh

Christal Kelly
  • Welcome
  • About
  • Musings
  • Poetry
  • Welcome
  • About
  • Musings
  • Poetry

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

  • red rose
    blog,  dealing with life,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  Thoughts

    Ancestral Connections

    April 11, 2021 / 13 Comments

    On Friday, I wrote about my great-great grandmother Sophronia (click her name to read the post) and how I believed she helped me when I was going through my divorce and separation. When I think of that story, I’m reminded of other ancestral connections I’ve had over the years. I believe I must have had some type of connection when I was a child through my teen years that eventually eased because I didn’t nurture it. Mostly because I didn’t know…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    Pretty in pink and Oculus

    April 5, 2021

    Santa Cruz

    January 25, 2021
    April Year of Mary

    Give in to Joy

    April 29, 2021
  • Adventures

    Just a quickie

    April 10, 2021 / 13 Comments

    Today we are taking my husband’s granddaughter out for a day trip to see one of his rentals, then to visit my parents for a bit. I’ll write more tomorrow with hopefully some pictures. Have a great day everyone and happy Saturday.

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    black bird

    The Bird in the Storm

    April 14, 2021
    me in garden bed

    Playing in dirt and the joy of canning

    April 6, 2021
    tree at Montage

    Body Beautiful

    April 17, 2021
  • Beast Mode
    blog,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  meanderings,  new life,  Thoughts

    Mish Mash

    April 8, 2021 / 12 Comments

    1. My Oculus Quest 2 arrived yesterday. It took a little bit of time to set-up, but over all the process was relatively easy and smooth. I am blown away by the graphics on this piece of equipment. It feels very immersive and mind-blowingly real. I danced with a robot and exercised with a fitness trainer yesterday. I was thinking about how far we have advanced when a small piece of equipment holds more storage than the my first desktop…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    Journal Prompt #2

    December 21, 2020
    Statue of Liberty at sunset.

    Taking a Bite of the Big Apple!

    April 2, 2023
    A Year of Mary

    Messiness

    April 1, 2021
  • Standing fighting trying
    blog,  dealing with life,  divorce,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  Grief,  marriage,  new life,  Thoughts

    Dreams

    April 7, 2021 / 12 Comments

    Most days I’m content in my new life. I feel very fortunate to have met and married someone who values and cherishes me. This marriage is new and a very small slice of my life. When you have been with someone since you were a very young woman and grew up with that other person and yes, probably outgrew them as well, it can feel very disjointed. I still dream about my ex. And, I suppose that I probably will…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    AI rendering of a picture of woman with her hand underneath her chin.

    Self Care when Life is Busy

    April 18, 2023
    A drawing of a woman's face with yellow hair with the quote "pay attention, be astonished, tell about it."

    Every day holds something new

    September 12, 2021
    tree at Montage

    Body Beautiful

    April 17, 2021
  • me in garden bed
    Adventures,  blog,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  gardening,  new life

    Playing in dirt and the joy of canning

    April 6, 2021 / 8 Comments

    Last year, about a month or so into the pandemic, we decided to take up gardening. I purchased a raised garden bed, we purchased bags of dirt and chicken poop, and a variety of starter plants, like zucchini, tomatoes, cantaloupe, bell peppers, and strawberries. Everything grew well enough to give me the idea that maybe I could actually grow some things. I went on a frenzy of buying seeds from various Etsy shops, including heirloom tomatoes, leeks, carrots, lettuce, arugula,…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    alone time

    Returning

    May 6, 2021

    Our Travel to Mexico

    February 25, 2024
    windmill by flowing water

    So I did a thing

    December 28, 2021
  • blog,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  favorite products,  lifestyle,  make up,  obsessions,  urban decay,  wants

    Pretty in pink and Oculus

    April 5, 2021 / 25 Comments

    I’ve not done a wants/obsession post for a couple of months, so thought I’d write about that today. A make-up line that I’m obsessed with is Urban Decay. I love so many of their eye-shadows and have more than a few to feed my obsession. However, today I’m going to focus on their lipstick and one color in particular. It’s called Big Bang and it fits two particular criteria of mine. First, it’s pink and second, it’s sparkly. Both feed my…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    April Year of Mary

    Give in to Joy

    April 29, 2021

    So yeah, I got married

    November 10, 2020

    Release

    December 26, 2020
  • trees and grass
    Adventures,  blog,  dealing with life,  Effys's Blogging Challenge,  marriage,  new life,  Thoughts

    Nature is a curative

    April 4, 2021 / 18 Comments

    Some days this pandemic makes me cranky. I’m in a new marriage. I moved in with my new husband in November 2019. The pandemic hit in the early part of 2020 and we were in lockdown by March 2020. So we have been with each other 24/7 pretty much since then. It’s a test to many relationships, but I think with a new relationship it is the ultimate test. We liked each other enough to get married in October, but…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    Our Travel to Mexico

    February 25, 2024
    black bird

    The Bird in the Storm

    April 14, 2021
    Effy's Blog Challenge

    beautiful creatives

    April 2, 2021
  • pretty drink
    Adventures,  blog,  lifestyle,  new life,  travel

    Getting back to normal

    April 3, 2021 / 3 Comments

    Yesterday in a word felt normal. I went out into the world by myself to do shopping for Easter and for my boys who have birthdays about a week apart. I went into Ulta to buy some of my favorite products and spent more than I was planning because it felt so indulgent. Tomorrow morning I will drive with my husband to watch two of my grandkids find their Easter eggs. My parents have been invited. This normal is possible…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    tree at Montage

    Body Beautiful

    April 17, 2021
    alone time

    Returning

    May 6, 2021
    Statue of Liberty at sunset.

    Taking a Bite of the Big Apple!

    April 2, 2023
  • Effy's Blog Challenge
    Adventures,  art,  blog,  new life,  obsessions

    beautiful creatives

    April 2, 2021 / 8 Comments

    Just so you know, dear reader, I’m partaking in a blogging challenge. Do you remember those, when blogs were all the rage back in the early aughts? This one is led by Effy Wild and runs through the month of April. I do hope you’ll read my blog and maybe hop over to Effy’s blog and maybe join the challenge as well. Part of the challenge is to read and comment on three other blogs. I don’t count reading Effy’s blog…

    Read More
    Christal Kelly

    You May Also Like

    Just a quickie

    April 10, 2021

    Our Travel to Mexico

    February 25, 2024
    Sunset with trees in front. Sky has clouds with an orange-pink hue.

    Relaxing and Exploring

    May 26, 2024
  • A Year of Mary
    Acrylics,  art,  blog,  dealing with life,  divorce,  divorce,  marriage,  mixed media,  new life,  Thoughts,  Thoughts,  watercolor

    Messiness

    April 1, 2021 / 12 Comments

    Today’s picture is from Effy Wild’s “Year of Mary” lesson. Each month she does a painting inspired by the poetry of Mary Oliver. This was the lesson for March and it created so many challenges for me. In fact, it’s been sitting on my art cart for about two weeks because I could not get her face done right or to what I was perceiving as “right.” The whole process has been, messy and muddled, right to the very end. And, it…

    Read More
    christal

    You May Also Like

    April Year of Mary

    Give in to Joy

    April 29, 2021

    Santa Cruz

    January 25, 2021

    Release

    December 26, 2020
23456

Musings

  • SS Sphinx
  • Enchanting Egypt
  • Relaxing and Exploring
  • Adventures in Maui
  • Our Travel to Mexico

Categories

© 2025 Christal Kelly