" We all may have come on different ships but we are on the same boat now."  

Martin Luther King

I really like this quote. It kind of goes along the line of think globally, act locally.  I am not always sure that I see the big picture.  I think of the tiny space I take up in this life and wonder if what I do or say even matters in the "big picture."  I am a journal writer. I have kept a journal since I was young.  I write about lots of different thing-the weather sometimes, things that are happening in my life, my family.  I wonder sometimes if these scribbles that I have collected will some day matter to someone else?  Who knows.  I don't keep them to matter to anyone but me.  I got caught up the other day when I was cleaning off my bookshelf, in reading some of my past entry's.  After taking an official journal writing class I had started to include in my various writings, world happenings, local weather, things of those nature.  Thoughts of the day things that are happening.  I find writing in my journal peaceful, mind clearing.  I think that I can write about experiences that maybe were a learning curve, tough, painful, and after sharing my thoughts I can let them go.  I found re-reading some of my entry's I wondered who was speaking?  Do ever have that experience?  I find myself laughing at things I wrote especially if I wondered if I was going to make it through a certain experience and sometimes just to laugh at what I thought used to be so terrible, now knowing better.  Good times, bad times.  Happy, funny.  I enjoy reading blogs, to me they are for all intents and purposes journal entry's.  I am the kind of person who liked to read the journaling on scrapbook pages-even when the writing was tiny.  I like to read what other people think about things.  It is fascinating how connected we can all be...

June is a beautiful month! I finally got all my flowers planted! The days have flown by so fast they are almost a blur. I found some great flowers, purple and white columbine for the front porch basket, and gerber daisies to go with my roosters! So many gorgous flowers to choose from. I always love to see all the flower gardens blooming all summer long, beauty everywhere. This June has been so green due to all the wonderful rain. A treat for the garden and the flowers! Messy work-but so worth it! A riot of

color to keep the summer bright and fun.

I love how a few colorful plants in a pot can make the patio so enjoyable a place to be, my cat was not so happy to be on the inside when everyone else was on the outside, but he sure makes the birds chirp like mad-I think they do not like him quite so near their nests...

I enjoyed spending a few fun days with a niece and nephew-we went everywhere, play dates in the park, picnic lunches, a dog breeder with new puppies, baked chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles( hmm) and spent an afternoon in a great water feature in downtown Lafayette! Really fun.

By the end of the day all involved parties were tired!

Too much excitement I guess...

Can you believe that it is May? I love watching Spring burst! The leaves start to come out tulips and daffodils bright and cheery!
I love that I can leave the windows open, the smell of newly cut grass wafting in. I am seduced by the sunshine and blue skies.
It also of course is the time for spring cleaning-blah blah blah.
I started my annual spring cleaning in my craft area. I separated a pile of papers for making cards and labeled my other paper holders after organizing them by color or company. I was surprised how quickly it came together and how much easier it is to find things now. I have been itching to make some cards.

Last weekend I went to a Stamp show. I found this new fabulous product called flower soft. It is the coolest! This product adds just the right touch of dimension to your cards. It is so easy to use and totally fun and creative! I (of course) had to purchase some and add to my collection of fun embellishment stuff. I told myself after I cleaned out a few more drawers, tore ideas out of the rest of my magazines I could play. And play I did. I love this new product! It adds just the right touch of added wow to your card. I have found from exploring different aspects of it. Less is definitely more. It comes in so many different colors

no one will be able to choose just one! And I love these frog stamps from Penny Black.I have collected quite a few and they just bring a smile to my face when I get to create with them. I think whimsical characters are fun to work with!
I went to a cousin's bridal shower this last weekend. With all of us living on limited budgets I was trying to figure out what to give. I like to crochet hot pads so I made some of those and then I took a bound 4 x6 book of lined note cards and wrote out some of my favorite recipes. I thought that tried and true recipes would be appreciated. I really enjoyed reflecting on my cousin and making a gift that fit her and I felt happy about giving. I have reflected a lot about the stretch to making all gifts again. It can be down right tough. It really makes you go out of your comfort zone and really think about the person you are giving the gift too. It is so easy to buy a gift card. I have enjoyed giving those in the past. As I have looked over my stash of goods I realize how blessed I am, and why my friends frequently complained that they didn't know what to give me- ah yes, I have a lot of fun things. Now the challenge for me will be to test out my ability to create and come up with fun gift worthy gifts for teenage boys...Ok a little help here might be necessary. Alright a lot of help. I have my sister and her family for Christmas. I know I am saying the C word early but I have three teenage boys to think about a gift for.
I was looking through the Cloth*Paper Scissors magazine that had featured studios. I was so wowed. I am working towards getting mine into better shape-totally usable for me yet still stylish. That has been a challenge. Just getting everything where it should be then labeled and cataloged might take me a really long time. I have been cataloging my word sayings this week. Ehgad. I can't help myself. I love words, word stamps, fonts, journaling. Do you ever read back through writing of yours and don't recognize yourself? I do occasionally and I wonder why that is? I guess it goes along with all things of change, different years, different circumstances. Makes me laugh, but really glad that I keep a journal.

Hot Chocolate

I love hot chocolate, unfortunately for me this year hasn't really been too cold! I made a mix of dark chocolate using dutch processed cocoa which I love. I have yet to finish the whole mix. But this past week I have enjoyed 2 cups! Yahoo. I love that we are getting some snow, we so badly need the moisture. I am watching the peas and flowers start to bud! It is almost April I can't believe how this year is flying past!

I went to Cottonwood Quilts this past week to say good bye to the store. I love fabric and took my first quilt class at this store. I had been wanting to learn to quilt for years but I always found some reason ( excuse) put it off. Then I just decided to do it, to quit putting it off. I had wanted to learn for what felt like forever. I had collected fabric, patterns, I owned a sewing machine, I just needed a little direction. It felt great to finally realize a dream. It started me thinking about all the other dreams and plans that I have. I have discovered first hand that there is no such thing as TIME. We make the time or we don't. Why is that? After struggling through some rough surgery and still enjoying the benefits of arthritis I realized something. Life wasn't going to stop for me until I found time. So now I have new plans and goals. I want to get some more formal education. I want to learn to create new things. While I was at the store I found this yummy stack of Moda fabric that will make perfect cards! Of course I have to keep to my schedule that comes with Spring-cleaning and organizing, finishing up little projects. So before I can play I have to finish. I am getting ready to take a watercolor class and can hardly wait! I have always loved watercolor paintings and have dabbled a little with pencils and crayons, always fun to create with. This will be more in depth and involve all the bells and whistles! I have always enjoyed learning new things and I think that with all the stress that is going on in the economy and throughout the world we all need to step back and regroup, take the time to learn something new. I have procrastinated learning new things for several reasons, there wasn't enough time or money, blah, blah, blah. I am sure that we can all think of some good ones. Ok so we don't have money for "formal" school-how about learn a new crafting technique from a friend or on line? Check out a book or video from the library, the library is loaded with options. There are options to learn new construction things being taught at Home Depot almost every weekend. The options are pretty endless. We just need to adjust our thinking and where we look. Learning something new will keep us energized and focusing on positive change. Take time everyday for yourself. There is a quote I like by Marion G. Romney "How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist others cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned."
There is always so much negative information that we get pounded with daily. Take the time to reflect on what you have to offer. And if you are in need, reach out. I see daily, kind and loving acts performed by others. If you have a skill to offer, teach. If you have ears to hear, listen. If you want love and support, love and support. You will be amazed how it comes back to you. Be positive. Nothing will help the day to day grind more than being positive. Look forward to all the good and beautiful things that Spring offers, new blossoms, new life. Do a kind deed each day, when you need it, someone will return the favor!

Small Moments Change Lives

I don't know why it is so hard to Blog for me, I keep a regular journal. I like snail mail and I enjoy all kinds of writing and reading. I am the kind who likes to read the journaling on scrapbooking pages. Writing for me is good for the heart. In my journaling I keep my thoughts, write current events, things that are happening locally. I read once that keeping journals needed to have more than just your own thoughts, they needed to include the weather, happenings in your area, current events in the world, it kind of gives you a different perspective on things. I have family history that includes journals and I find it fascinating to read about the past. We are so fortunate now to be able to include all kinds of "art" if you will in our journal keeping. We can write, take photos, film, recording our passing through this life. Moments. I read this quote about how small moments change lives and it really got me thinking about that-how small moments do. Even if we don't like change, change happens. It probably is the most consistent thing in our lives.

On my quick trip I visited the ruins of this castle built in the middle of the woods. It didn't last long, made of stone but with a wood roof it was destroyed by fire. The owner died right after he started building it. It looked beautiful in the photos before the fire. I am sure that the owner never planned on passing away before he saw his magnificent home finished. I was sorry that the
family hadn't keep it, rebuilt it.

Sometimes the small moments seem insignificant at the time, they pass quickly without even notice. Other times the small moment, changes the course of our life. Change is a good thing. I always think that it is so great we can change, we enjoy the freedom of this country which allows us to change, our jobs, homes, locations. We can change our minds, gain more education, we can change our hearts, forgive, forget. I remember the quote the largest room is the room for improvement-change.

Maybe we should allow ourselves every day to think about the small moments, to enjoy them, to tuck them into our hearts and remember them.

I love this stamp. So happy and Spring like!

As I was packing for a little spring break road trip I was loading my "must have" when traveling bag. I am sure we all have that kind of bag, the kind to make the trip comfortable for us. For me that involves a couple good books, books on CD, music, DVD's, snacks, healthy, sugary, salty and water. I being the list maker that I am, make several lists to prepare for travel. It seems to me that every time I make the "list" I remember something important that I forgot. In today's day there is always a Walmart or Walgreens to help us if we forget anything. I am all about, hopefully, not wasting money on a toothbrush forgotten, but finding a great little quilt shop or new scrapbooking finds as well as, of course, new stamps. Every penny counts so I have reviewed and packed carefully. I actually am going to be doing a lot of scrapbooking this trip. I look forward to spending some time getting lots of pages done. The downside is I don't get to be surrounded by my stash. I am going to be working with a "skeleton crew" of tools and accessories. It will be good though. I will be getting back into a good working schedule and I am looking forward to seeing my efforts finished! So my packing will include lots of page ideas and probably some glue, my basic tool kit and my Quickutz. Sorry big shot I couldn't carry you and all the dies I wanted to bring. So here is to spring, road trips, and good weather!

Ah Spring

I have really been basking in the sunshine this past few weeks. Enjoying 70 degree weather in February. It has been so nice, my thoughts have moved into Spring and of course Easter. I have been creating all kinds of bunny items. Paint cans, clear pails, cards! I love this time of year and even though I should be doing more spring cleaning-I have been having fun. The spring cleaning is coming along as well. When I was going through my closet I was kind of sad to realize, that while I love the sunshine, I have a bunch of sweaters that I haven't been able to wear because it really never got that cold. Of course as soon as I pack them away we will get dumped on and freeze! Or maybe the snow is waiting for my lettuce and peas to start peaking up in the garden? Either way I guess like all things that happen to us, we have got to take what we are given and be happy. I think the financial crisis that we are all facing in some degree is kind of, in a way, helping us to see what is really important. Yes I like having new stamps and all of the new crafting "toys" but as I have had to look through my ample assortment of supplies to find things I realize, I am really blessed and I love that I have supplies to go through. Like a squirrel I have stock piled paper and embellishments as well as dies and embossing folders, many of which I have not even had time to play with. Now I have things better organized and can really enjoy playing with my supplies and trying new techniques with my stash. Yes, I still want new things and enjoy checking the paper and email for coupons. Now I have a small budget and always need a coupon before I am tempted to purchase anything! It has been good for me. Really has helped me appreciate all I do have. Of course it will be nice to see people employed again and not losing their homes. Sometimes hard things teach us the most. I think that is the best way to look at hard experiences. What am I supposed to learn from this experience? That helps me focus on the fact, that as my Father used to always say "It came to pass" all things do eventually move on and we recover and are stronger because of them. I hope that you as well are hunkering down and that when this time passes you will be unscathed.