ThoughtfulEscapes

...it's life.

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You are here: Home / About Me

About Me

First of all, thank you for stopping by to read my little corner of the world. If you are new here, you will find me documenting aspects of living life as a Christ-following, dependent on Him every single day – for everything, as a single, homeschooling, work-from-home MOM. If you have Visual Communication needs in the form of graphic design/layout/formatting projects – I’d love to work with you DotandInk.com is my business.

I have a son and a daughter, they are 20 and 17 – my son is married and a sophomore in College and my daughter is a senior in high school. We have been a single parent family since 2000. I FULLY rely on my Heavenly Father every day to get through life.

My blessings include calling southcentral Alaska home and staying at home with my children. I love to see, feel, and create with various materials in many colors & textures. This includes creating on a computer. In April 2011, I finished school with an AA in Information Technology/Web Design.

I started my first blog in 2007, and pulled several posts from that blog into this one. One of the tasks on my never-ending to-do list: still need to “clean up” posts from prior to October 2011.

I decided on the name Thoughtful Escapes because I tend to over-think most everything and to me blogging [reading & writing] can be an ‘escape’. Gaps in posts means my thoughts were too fully focused on life in reality and processing … Once my children entered high school, it was important to me to give them a safe, non-public space to grow without being concerned about “showing up on the blog”. As much as I love writing and documenting, they come first. Writing in this space will pick up again when they have both graduated and are “on their own”.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Affiliate Information

I have added Affiliate links to my blog to help with earning money for funding this space and hopefully help with some “extra’s” for our family. None of these links will cost you anything, but if you click thru the link I’ve provided the company will give me a commission on what you purchase. I am very thankful in advance for your support.

Please know this, these links are for companies I have worked with personally and I highly recommend them. I will not promote something I don’t trust for the sake of promotion or a possible dollar earned.

Are you familiar with CreativeLive? Simply, it’s awesome! You can learn creative skills from the world’s top experts – Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Oscar Winners, and New York Times best selling authors, thought leaders, and legendary entrepreneurs. With over 1,500 curated classes in Photography & Video, Money & Life, Craft & Maker, Art & Design, and Music & Audio, there is something for everyone. Students can watch on-air broadcasts for free or buy a class and own the content for life.

doTERRA – I researched & held off for numerous years, so we just recently started using Essential Oils. I have found the greatest help for me physically has been the Lifelong Vitality Pack – vitamins don’t usually like me and I’ve never seen a benefit to warrant the cost. These are different. I am a wellness advocate with doTerra, if you are looking for doTERRA products I would be honored if you used the link to my website. Your purchases from my site would help my daughter & I heal our stubborn bodies by enabling us to continue purchasing what we have found most helpful for us.

Dollar Shave Club – This is a subscription I set up for my son while he’s away at college. I wanted him to know I care about him. Every morning he chooses to shave, I am “in” his face :-). He has a tangible reminder, I am praying for him. I miss him. I love him.

InMotion Hosting – this is who I use for hosting all of my websites and where I manage other websites. I absolutely LOVE them – they help so much when I am hopelessly lost in the technical side of the internet, AND they have 24/7 friendly customer service – AWESOME! I can not recommend them enough! In addition, they now offer free SSL on their shared plans – this is all part of keeping up with Google’s best practices.

MOO – this is who I personally use for my business cards and have ordered the mini-cards, postcards, stickers, and square flyers too. I love the feel of their basic cards and being able to have one side be contact information and the other side be different information/pictures (printfinity) – at no extra cost is amazing! I’m weird about how paper feels and what colors look like when printed out. I’ve always been very impressed with the product received. Again, LOVE their customer service!

Shutterfly – I have always been very happy with anything I’ve ordered from Shutterfly. So far, I’ve ordered photo books, calendars, notecards, playing cards, note pad, and photo prints – they’ve all been super great!


Companies I like working with:

Custom Stickers – StandOut Stickers

Comments

  1. Chris Leach says

    January 15, 2015 at 8:56 am

    April…..I love the calendar and images you created! – just received them today. Thank you for sharing your creative spirit, love for God’s creation, and His word with me. Your snailmail sister in Christ! :)

    Reply
    • April says

      January 15, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Chris – You’re welcome & I am so glad you like it!

      Reply
  2. Julie Melin says

    October 17, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    I would like to get your posts going forward please

    Reply

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Affiliate Links

Please note: links on this blog are probably affiliate links (unless it's to another post or another blog). Please see my About Me page for a full listing of sites for which I am an affiliate.
My promise to you - I will only link to what I like because I like it, not because anyone is paying me. If you shop from these links, I will earn a small percentage and will be very grateful :-D. Thank you.

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2011 Alaska State Fair being a mom birthday blessings blogs boat brothers campaign Captivating choices Choose Joy Christmas encouragement eternally thankful fall family flowers friendship giveaway gluten free grandparents homeschool house projects it's life it's the little things linky party missions my boy my girl Nikon camera organization parenting school sewing simple joys single parent Sony camera spring thankful thoughts verses Washington DC women |365:oneword|
I know I don't do social media well, so I do not have separate accounts for business & personal. This is my business Instagram feed. It's still me posting. Just not me strung out trying to keep up with two accounts. #limitsofanintrovert Thanks for being gracious & understanding! :-)

april.c.keller

Visual Communication = Graphic Design | Layout for Print & Web; Document Formatting; Copywriting.

April C Keller
The power is out. Now is when it’s REALLY conven The power is out. Now is when it’s REALLY convenient to read eBooks (& you have fully charged devices). The orange glow to the right is from the collection of candles I had handy. 
Super duper thankful for the gas fireplace!!! The temp was 43° earlier today, has dropped to 15° & supposed to continue dropping thru the night.
#thankfultonotreadbycandlelight
#gasfireplacesareawesome
#eveofchristmaseve2020 #decemberinwi
Dec 22, 2020 at 7:39am😍😍😍 No need to say Dec 22, 2020 at 7:39am😍😍😍
No need to say more.
#decembersunrise #wisconsin #wearegaininglightnow
December 21st is the shortest day of the year. As December 21st is the shortest day of the year. As a lifelong Alaskan my body & mind are very tuned to this date - we now gain daylight each day. Living WI has had many benefits & blessings - the least of which isn’t even how I will see the daylight before I get to work. 😍😍😍 I am not sad about this in the least!

I’m so thankful for this morning’s living/dining/kitchen views. I love the glow of Christmas lights & the way they immediately stop my thoughts in their tracks and cause me to remember to be thankful.
#christmas2020 #ak2co2wi #mondaymornings #thankful #blessed #christmaslights
😍😍😍 Como Park Conservatory = eye candy ev 😍😍😍 Como Park Conservatory = eye candy every time. {{sigh}}
We caught the sun low in the sky & it was simply beautiful! When we walked out it was the setting sun on the glass building & the flag blowing in a lazy breeze. #coldbutbeautiful #perfect 
#comoparkconservatory #midnovember #eyecandy #soulfilling #breathtaking #thankfulfortheopportunity #americanflaginthebreeze
Just a tiny note to share how much I am absolutely Just a tiny note to share how much I am absolutely LOVING the sunrise pink at 7am in mid-November! 😍😍😍
It’s a whole 25° & supposed to start snowing within the hour. (Do you see the neighbor’s pink window reflections?)
#happymonday #blessings #itsanewweek #wintersunrisebefore8
Hi guys! April’s daughter here. Due to an unkind Hi guys! April’s daughter here. Due to an unkind comment and a hard week behind the social media wall she deleted the post. After a good talk and encouragement I am here re-posting with permission. Remember that what’s seen on social media does not reflect what goes on behind the scenes. The intention of the post was to share a personal struggle and encourage others who may feel the same. A difference of opinion does not require a comment. 

The repost:

Are you an American? If so, voting is your civic duty. 
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as voting against your freedom.
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as voting against your right of citizenship. 
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as disregarding every American soldier and his/her family’s sacrifice for you. 
I promise – no matter what you think – YOU ARE NOT TOO BUSY to vote! This year especially, they have made it so easy (not interested in debating the right/wrongness of this, just stating fact) and it’s not as if the deadline has been a surprise date. If you choose to not vote, there is no excuse other than being lulled into apathy by the privilege you take for granted. Don’t be lazy.

For those who think I’m being too harsh – these are the things I had to remind myself of in the not so distant past as I was overwhelmed by figuring out the simple-yet-not-so-simple-process of how to register as a new resident, where to vote, and who to vote for. And then again today as anxiety joined me when I’d parked at my polling place & it was time to actually stand in line with all the others.

Side note, 2020 brought yet another first for me: I’ve never voted on a non-Alaskan ballot. Instead of boroughs & districts, I navigated counties & wards. 
Even so, the ballot looked the same. 😊 

And then I went for a beautiful country drive through harvested fields and looked at barns. Feeling thankful & blessed for the freedom and ability to do so.
A little crisp & foggy outside, but perfectly cozy A little crisp & foggy outside, but perfectly cozy inside.🍂🍁

#september2020 #fall #thankful
So...not exactly a surprise!😊 Take your own qu So...not exactly a surprise!😊

Take your own quiz at holleygerth.com/introvertquiz
 
You definitely should go check out more about The Powerful Purpose if Introverts by @holleygerth 
#introvertpurpose #introvert #godmadeuseachunique
🍂Fall is coming! 🍂 This change of the season 🍂Fall is coming! 🍂
This change of the seasons is the first one I’ve felt alert for since moving here 🍁🍂 & it’s all so pretty (the 5 trees I’ve seen starting to change)! But I’m not in the least ready for it, it’s the 1st time in 18 years I haven’t needed school supplies of some sort - for either of the kids (homeschooling) or myself (college). Now, I just get to enjoy all the school supplies simply because I love them!😊

The first pic is just for enjoyment because I know the majority if you can’t possibly understand what the 2nd & 3rd photos mean to me. 😊

As an introvert who has been transitioning from work-from-home to working-at-the-office-everyday, on a team & working on a variety of projects, I often feel as if I’m majorly failing at simply being nice. 

I’m too often in my head, processing all I’m trying to remember to do/get done & short of smiling in passing, there isn’t a ton of other interaction. BUT the 2nd photo is evidence of while not having more than a handful of non-work related conversations, I have a co-worker who knows me incredible well! On Tues, she brought me one Pantone color book & yesterday she brought me SEVEN more!😍 
I never dreamed I’d get to touch one of these little color charts in real-life, let alone have a set of them living at my desk!!! 

2020 will never be forgotten, for so many reasons. Big & small.
#seen&known #itsthelittlethings #littlethingsadduptobigthings #blessed #thankful
It’s no small secret I’m a hard-core introvert It’s no small secret I’m a hard-core introvert & not by just a little bit. Social distancing has always been my norm. I can’t say I’ve seen this as a blessing in life 🥴. 

Ironically, while 2020 has required so many social appreciators (extroverts) to stay at/work from home, life in 2020 has required me to learn how to work out of the home full-time. After working from home for the last 20 years, this has not been a small adjustment!

I have lived in WI for 8 months now, and I’m just starting to feel semi-human in daily life. I totally & completely underestimated the toll an unexpected 2nd large move, traveling over Christmas, wrapping up my senior year of college/degree, having my oldest graduate college, and working on a team of people out of the house full-time would have on me. #notenoughhourstorecovereachday

You will likely see me in this space more as I’m on the book launch team for The Powerful Purpose of Introverts, the latest book by @holleygerth. I’m really looking forward to learning how being an introvert can be a blessing & strength.

 #introvertpurpose #createdinhisimage #lovedasiam #nothingtoprove #introvert
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