Giveaways!

So one of the things I LOVE, is to keep an eye out for special Blog Giveaways.  I have taken part in many over the last few months and have been blessed with being chosen.  Each one in someway has helped to kept my creative self going, when I have needed it the most.

So here is to a special giveway over at Jeanne Oliver's blog, she is a wonderful Brave Girl.  I can't say enough about her wonderful creativity.  Take advantage of entering, you never know when you to might be blessed!!

Rest and Creating

I'm sorry I have been absent but I have felt I needed the break to get my barrings.  So much started to be piled up on me that I felt I was going to be crushed by the weight of it all.  I couldn't even step into my corner which seemed like it would last forever.  I knew I had things to do that I really didn't want to do so I went back to making a list of what needed to be done.  My list of what I don't want to do is now complained with the things I love to do.  I am finding that works the best for me especially when the don't want to do, out weighs the want to do.  All of this is helping me to focus which in peri menopause, is proving to be a challenge to me.

One of the things I have been focusing on is the She Art class I was able to take.  I am enjoying the process of watching the girls come to life.  #1, She finally believe what had been in her heart all along.  This girl has such a big meaning for me.  There was a time in my marriage that I couldn't bring myself to believe that I was really loved.  One day this past month the light bulb went on and I finally believed what I was feeling all along.  The feeling has always been there but it was the knowing that has changed things.  #2, She was the best gift she could give herself.  A background that my daughter created over a  year ago, which I am so glad I convinced her to not throw away!  The message of living life to the fullest and making it count by being yourself.        

I hope everyone will have a wonderful Easter week!!

Honor

So a lot has been happening this past few weeks.  It is stuff that isn't all good and I can't go into it here for privacy reasons.  In the midst of it all though I am remaining peaceful.  I can't tell you how good of a feeling that is, to just be peaceful.  I feel like I can breathe, that I'm not being suffocated.  I know it is hard to understand if you don't know what is going on but before Soul Restoration something like this would have just sent me into a tail spin.  I would have dwelled on it and it would have broken me.  However, I am whole and it feels wonderful!

My daughter has a school project that is coming up. She has a question she needs to answer in a form that would be visible to the public. She will be doing some mixed media, making them into She Art girls.  Her question is what does it means to live with honor?  We would be interested to hear your answers in forms of favorite quotes, scriptures and whatever else you would like.  Who knows, my daughter may just decide to give one of you a special present after her project is finished at the end of May.

hon·or [on-er] –noun

honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.” – author unknown

Routines

I didn't really know until today how much of a routine person I have become.  There is that saying "When Momma ain't happy, no body's happy".  Yep, that would be me when it comes to my routine.(Thank you Flylady!)  Mess with how I like to do things and you may just have one angry Momma on your hands.  Now, don't get me wrong over the years I have learned to make adjustments and not be so controlling about said routines.  I am happy to bend when necessary for company, days of illness or just spontaneous fun. 

However, at this point in time I have a problem.........We moved here 3 years ago, this upcoming June and the only routine this Momma has is avoiding the things that need to be done.  I haven't been able to find what works for me now.  You would think I could keep it the same as before but it just isn't working.  A few years ago I was at a very special friends house and I noticed her to do list on her refrigerator.  It said "Love the House Day"(at least I think I am remembering it right) and I asked her what that meant.  She told me that her house needed to be loved just as much as her family.  So just like she set aside time to be with family, she set aside time to take care of the house.  For some reason what had always seemed like chores to me became something I did out love.  What a change that was! 

Today was a breakthrough day and I am on my way to finding my happy routine.  At this point in time.....Wednesday's mark my "Love the House Day", which includes the things I don't really like to do but need to be done.  Dusting, vaccuming corners and cleaning my bathroom.  Thursday's mark starting laundry and which gets finished up on Friday.  The whole goal of my happy routine is to be able to free up our weekends as the warmer weather approaches.   So looking forward to the evenings after dinner in the garden!!  

So please share with me, do you have a rountine?  What do you do that just makes your home happy?

And so it begins

A LONG weekend.  My two teenagers have been madly practicing for a high school play, Fiddler on the Roof since they returned from Christmas break.  Practices 5 days a week and a couple of weekends thrown in there have proven to weigh heavily on this family.(especially when 3 out of 4 of us was sick for 6 weeks)  We are a family that gets cranky when we don't get to spend a lot of time together and I've been known to get the jealous mommies.  Example of the jealous mommies.....when teenage daughter wants to have a friend over because she misses said friend, then I feel left out.  I would rather just spend time creating art with her instead of sharing her.  I realize she has to have time with her friends outside of school so I suck it up and play nice.(at least I try)

So the last nights of the play started yesterday and go through Saturday.  Did a mention that it will be late nights until 11pm?  Ya, I know I am getting older because I can't stay up that late to many days in a row.  I am looking forward to Sunday, the day after the last performance.  We just might end up sleeping in.....right like that ever happens with me.  I am lucky to sleep in past 7am!  Oh well, such is life and it goes on. 

My parents are coming in for a few days so that will be fun.  I am also putting together a Brave Girl apron and trying my best to find motivation to make some art.  I am LOVING the She Art class!  I haven't created any girls yet but my ideas are brewing so that makes me happy.

The winner is........

BUT first I need to let you all know how much I appreciated each one of your comments and have read them all.  They were all so touching.  Welcome to all my new followers.  I hope you will enjoy the journey I share here.

I believe that there is a God that knows what each and everyone of us needs to continue on our own journey.  He puts things in our paths that can result into beautiful things.  When I went to the Random generator I plugged in the numbers, then went back to my list of comments.  I counted and then relized that one of the most touching comments for me was the person who received the blog gift.  This is so like God to provide something special to help someone along their way. 

So to number 35, Kristy you are the winner!!       
Kristy said, "I am so loving this BG blog hop ! Being able to read your stories and sing praises for SR at BGC is wonderful .I am so excited to say I am signed up for the April session. IS it April yet ? I have been so touched by your story and for being brave enough to post it. I am happy to add you to my following list. I would just die to win this amazing gift. I am on a journey to heal after the death of my dear husband in July 2010. On a journey of discovery and being Brave in my new "Widow" walk. I am over the top with joy that you girls put this together. What a wonderful gift to all of us !! Hugs.. KRisty ...Krissi57 at BGC...You can reach me at my blog...http://myhealingthroughartstory.blogspot.com/ "

I linked Kristy's blog so you lovelies can go leave her some sisterly love.  Her artwork through healing is amazing, which makes God pretty amazing!!  Blessing to you my new Brave Girl Sister!!

What it means to be a Brave Girl

Welcome to the Soul Restoration blog hop - if you're following from the beginning you came from Leslie's blog  to continue hopping on your way you'll visit Kai's blog.  If for any reason you get lost or a link is broken you can go here, here, here or here to get yourself back on track.  Several of the ladies are having give aways, so have fun!  That is what it's all about making special connections.

As you go along this blog hop journey you are going to see my sisters hearts, please be kind and leave lots of LOVE for them.  We would love to see you join the most powerful and fun online workshop taught by Melody Ross.  This class is being enjoyed and loved by women all over the world and the one thing in common you will see is it is all about connections.  Connections between other women who get you and to the little girl that is still inside of you waiting to be healed.  Soul Restoration online classes have now been expanded to TWO sessions:  Soul Restoration Part 1 - Finding your truth(6 weeks) starting April 5, 2011  Session $99 Registar HERE and Soul Restoation Part 2 - Living your truth(6 weeks) For graduates of Soul Restoration 1 only June 7, 2011  Session $99 Resister HERE 

You DO NOT need to be an artist to do this.  Melody is so awesome and she walks you through it all.  After watching all the technique videos if you are still having trouble, go to your sisters for support.  That is what it is all about lovelies.

I personally have been following Melody and her journey for years.  She speaks truth with her words and those words have helped me more than she will ever know.  When I heard that she was starting a Brave Girl Camp I was over the moon and back excited.  I knew with the price tag, I was going to have to wait for quite awhile for my pennies to be saved.  Then it was announced that a special Brave Girl Community would be opened and that Soul Restoration six week course would be offered.  Have you ever just been not able to get something out of your head?  That is what happened with me when I heard about it.  The decision to take this class wasn't something I took lightly.  I knew I would have a lot of soul work to do and it honestly wasn't going to be easy.  Life style changes are rarely easy but in the end rewarding.  

 

My sister died when I was nine years old, this is my favorite picture of her and I.  I loved her so very much and since then I have at times felt like I've been lost.  I only knew for a short time what it was like to have a sister and I have searched for years for that bond.  The bond of undersanding that only sisters seem to have.  A peace comes over you when you a relize you don't have to search empty faces anymore for someone who will be your sister.  That is the peace that I have received from Soul Restoration, my restless sisters heart is at peace.  I don't have to search anymore because I have hundres of sisters who get me.  They are there at a moments notice when I am having a horrible, no good, very bad day.  They center me right back to where I need to be.  I so LOVE each and everyone of you, my heart is full.

Now for the fun giveway that I have put together for you!  In this giveway you will receive the above things to start or continue you on your art journey of healing.   I will choose a winner Sunday 3/6,  9pm pacific time and post the winner by Tuesday 3/8.  Be sure I have away to contact you!! 

In class you will choose your truth teller symbol to remind you of the things you have learned.  My truth teller symbol are birds because they are what God uses to slow me down.  This little guy was found in my garden one day when I was going out to my car.  Yes, he let me get that close with the camera on my phone!  It looks like he is smiling and that is what I like to imagine God doing when he looks at me.      

Please join us in the beautiful Brave Girl community, that Melody and her sister Kathy have created for us.  If you would like to read more about the community, please click on the Brave Girl button to the left. 

A bit of Truth

I am loving surrounding myself with special truths.  This is one I made for myself and a couple of sweet Brave Girl sisters.  Be blessed and come back tomorrow for our wonderful Soul Restoration Blog Hop!!

I painted on lovely canvas paper.  The heart is modeling paste, which seems like it takes FOREVER to dry.  Little fence is a Martha Steward punch.

Doing things anyway

Somehow, somewhere I learned to do things anyway.  It has been that way for as long as I can remember.  It is strange though, when you don't remember much of your childhood to not even really know when you got to be so strong.  I am choosing however to believe it happened over a lifetime.

These are my Anyway pages from Soul Restoration.  The birds I found before Christmas and just stamped several out, cutting them out and placing them over the punched vine and flowers.  I just love how they turned out.

I am choosing to believe what Melody Ross said to us in class one day..........When you go through things you are extremely qualified to help someone where no one else would be.  You are trust worthy because you have been there.  I remember a very dear friend telling me the exact same thing about 10 years ago so what Melody said was just a wonderful reminder.  I do wish more people believed this and that there would be more trust so that people didn't think they add reinvent the wheel.

Be sure to come back this way over the weekend.  A few my new Brave Girls sisters and I have to put together a Soul Restoration Blog Hop.  I'll be doing a fun little give away.  See you soon!    

Attitude adjustment

My attitude hasn't been the best so I find myself being quiet.  I loved the Soul Restoration class and I will talk more about that later in the week, durning our blog hop this weekend.  It was everything I hoped it would be but it doesn't stop just because the class did.  It is hard work to change how you think on a daily basis, to go where the peace is when all you want to do is revert back to your old habits.  I seem to be the master of that recently, falling back into old habits, it seems easier but it sure isn't healthy.  

I just noticed this week that my vistor counter has hit over 14,000!  Totally amazing to me!  Thank you to all of you that visit.  I do believe I will be doing a special give away to celebrate soon, just have to figure out just the right special gift.

I tell you what this has been a rough three weeks, it hasn't been a good start to the new year healthwise.  It  started with getting a small cold that knocked me on my butt.  There was one day that I slept off and on for a full day!  The beginning of last week I was feeling pretty good and thought I was to the end of it, then the coughing started.  I decided to give up and get myself into the doctor, so glad I did!  By last night I was into coughing fits and had the worst sinus headache a person can have.  I am on my fourth box of kleenex, seriously that is a lot of snot!!  I know a little gross but I feel icky.  We have started whipping things down with Clorox wipes, one of the best inventions in my book!!   

If you have been following or visiting my blog for any length of time you know that I am in love with Mixed Media art.  I have recently found this wonderful lady Christy Tomlinson and she is doing a special online class called The She Art Workshop.  You can find out about it here and if you go to the Where Women Create blog you can enter yourself into a contest to win a pass to the class.  It is something I am seriously thinking about taking just to learn just a little bit more about what I love.

More Restoring

I am learning a lot of good stuff from Soul Restoration.  All of the content is really about changing ones thoughts and in turn this changes your life.  It is a for a purpose and helps you to look how far you have come.

In the past few weeks we have done a Timeline of our lives.  When we go through bad things in our lives, we have a tendency to think they go on forever but in reality it is only a short amount of time.  We make the choice everyday to let the past dictate our current lives and even our future.  It is possible to move past the hurt in your lives and not feel that you are stuck in it.  Moving past it is where you will find the JOY you are searching for.

We have also looked at both our strong and weak selves.  While it is hard to see at times each 'self' will take over at different times in your life.  What everyone seems to do though is beat yourself up over the choices you make, usually the bad ones.  Here we learned to love and forgive our weak selves, embrace her instead of telling her how horrible she is.

The background is made with modeling paste, which I scrap with a texture tool.  I then allowed it to dry completely, it took 24 hours......ack, I am not patient when it comes to leaving things alone to dry.  The next day, I painted my pages a medium grass green which turned out WAY to bright for me.  So I wiped as much of it off as I could, then watered down some brown paint to wash it over the green.  It gave it that in the forest mossy green that I was looking for, after it was dry I added Walnut Distress ink straight from the stamp pad.  I fell in love with the pages as I started to Mod Podge the elements on the pages.  It was everything I hoped it would be with all the perfect reminders on how I need to treat myself.    

Better!

I am so glad to have a better start to a new week.  I feel like I have already had a productive one, it feels so good.  It is finals week for my children, they are home earlier than normal.  The evenings are spent studying and trying to get enough rest for the next round of tests.  I am looking forward to the weekend so there will be less stress in the house.

My first art journal.  I took my inspiration from Donna Downey.  I do believe I am in LOVE!  

I am journaling special truths, things I have learned over my life, things I NEED to remember.  The constant glow of Christ, leading to hope into the Guckpit with my Truthteller leading the way.  The Truthteller being my God.  I am so glad that I am NOT in this dark place anymore!!  Thank you God, you are awesome.    

A four day migraine really puts a damper on one's life.  I woke up with it, early last week.  It was frustrating because I normally have some kind of sign but not this time.  I have learned over the years to just push through the pain, instead of feeling sorry for myself.  Feeling sorry for myself doesn't make it better.  I nap when I can(even if it is for only 10 minutes), drink plenty of water and put more protein in my diet.  Creating makes me feel better to, so I am in and out of my corner quite a bit.

So despite the week I was able to do a few things for the Soul Restoration class I am taking.  It feels so good to have something physical, that can help me to remember not to let stuff bother me.  To help me to remember that everyday I can choose to listen to my Truthteller.  Everyone's Truthteller is differant, mine just happens to be God.  He is the foremost in my life and the one I make a choice everyday to listen to. 

Cover:  This took the longest time to figure out what I wanted to do.  When I think of what makes me happy so much comes to mind and it makes it hard to choose.  I started by creating the white flower out of white cardstock and then covered it in Mod Podge so it would hold up to being on the cover.  The colored flowers came from my stash and were also covered with Mod Podge.  After they completely dried they took on the look of leather, very cool.  The butterfly was embossed onto white cardstock and colored in with Distress inks.  You can't tell by the photo but I then cover it with Glossy Accents to give it a nice shine.  Same thing is done with the Closed for Restoration sign.  I love everything about this cover.

A few pages:  I so enjoyed the process of creating my house and all the backgrounds.  It has taken me years to be okay with who I am and to take care of me.  The daisies and ladybugs are stickers I found in my stash.  They took on a real cool look after everything was covered in Mod Podge because a few of the flowers lifted up on the edges, giving a little dimension to the page.  The flowers on the last page shown here are again covered with Mod Podge and I added some Martha Stewart clear mirco beads to the center of the flowers.

   

Wonderful Stuff

I am in the second week of the Soul Restoration class. I am learning so much but I also am seeing how much of what is being taught I started about 5 to 10 years ago. It feels good to have confirmation that I have been headed in the right direction.  I am excited to see what the next few weeks hold.  I just have to remember it is all good.

One of my most favorite times of year is coming closer, Valentine's Day.  If you would like to get a little headstart on something fun, head on over Craftily ever after for her fun give away.  I can't wait to put it all together in a frame!

Unredeemed

I am so thankful that this is the promise God has for us.  I hope it helps bless your day like it has mine to be reminded that even when we don't see Him, He is right there.

The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are…

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

For every choice
That led to shame
And all the love
That never came
For every vow
That someone broke
And every life
That gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all...

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle
The Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

Resolutions, not here

Happy New Year!

I don't like resolutions so there for a I don't make them.  I have really worked hard over the last few years to just stop beating myself up.  I am happier that way.  There isn't much I can do about the past but I can make changes for my future even if it is only one step at a time.  One of the things I am trying to make sure that I am doing more of is writing about the little things, which I have always felt it important to do.  Someday I am not going to be here to tell the stories or to tell my children that they are loved.  I don't want any of that to disappear so that is a reason I scrapbook, journal or blog.  So onto a important little thing.........     

Durning winter we always let our outside dogs become inside dogs.  They LOVE it but it is an adjustment for me.  I love them but they are always underfoot and it can be very frustrating.  Like most dogs they thrive on attention and I do think they believe they are people not dogs.  I don't allow them up on furniture unless there is a blanket.  At night they will wonder around the house so we put them in the laundry room with there blankets. 

This is our oldest dog Arthur, he is 12.  We've seen some changes in him this past year, as you do with most older dogs, that has required us to make adjustments on how we interact with him.  His sight has been changing for months, he can still see but depth perception is a problem.  It is better if he has plenty of light to see when going downstairs and one of those flameless candles in the laundry room helps him at night.  The big thing that has changed is he has gone deaf.  We started to notice it this summer when the fire station would turn on the sirens and he wouldn't be howling.  He responses to vibration in the floor, knocking on the garage door to let him in and of course he watches the other dogs pretty closely.  If he is sleeping sound we have to be ever so careful as to not startle him.  We touch him gently to get his attention.  When my son is home he is by his side, even if he just gets up to get a pencil he is the constant shadow.  My son is his boy.  There are days he still thinks he is a puppy especially then the snow falls.  He eats snow even when his water bowl in the house is full and loves to chase after snowballs.  He will dive right into the deepest snow to find them and will bark very loudly when his boy isn't making snowballs fast enough.  It is quite funny.      

At his last vet appointment over the summer he had lost a bunch of weight so we had to adjust his feeding schedule from once a day to twice.  It seems that his body can handle it a lot better.  He has put back on the weight so for that we are glad.  He has always had this thing of not being able to stand on anything but carpets, it makes going to the vet interesting.  We have to actually carry him in and place him on a blanket because he feels safe.  On our wood floor landing, we have to have a small carpet because he won't come upstairs otherwise.  It will be a sad day when he is gone.     

Welcome 2011

I have decided that as much as I have loved this process this month of my journal.  My journal ends with Day 31 and I am really okay with it.  Today it has all about resting, which we will also do tomorrow.  Everyone is back to the regular family life as of Monday.  Yes, my husband has been home.  He has taken the kids vacation time off for as long as I can remember.  The only thing I don't like about everyone returning to work/school is that all of our animals are so use to people being around that they are pouty when the schedule is back to normal.

Day 28, Indulgences there were so many of them but it is all good!

Day 29, Can't let time go by without talking about a few of the movies I love watching.

Day 30, A short summary of 2010. 

Day 31, Goodbye 2010 and Hello to 2011.

Almost over

Well 2010 is done for some and almost gone for me.  The happy things for this year have been the addition of two beautiful Grandbabies to the family.  I love my Grandbabies, they provide me with so much sunshine!

Day 24, Christmas Eve is when we open all our presents.  My journaling will be on the back with some pictures on the front.

 

Day 25, Christmas Day we get to play with all our new stuff.  Just a fun relaxing day.  Journaling on the back.

Day 26, I found this postcard at a shop here in town.  I loved it and knew it would be a perfect addition to my album this year.  I had fun playing with the camera this year and took a few photos of ornaments leaving space for writing.  Hoping to use some of them as Christmas cards next year.(yes, trying to plan ahead)

Day 27,  My sleep patterns are all messed up with everyone home.  School starts back up on Monday and I think I am going to take a nice long nap with a quiet house!!

Peace

The snow is lightly falling this morning, my house is quiet for now and I am sitting her reflecting on the past year, wondering what the New Year will hold. 

This year has been a bumpy road for our family, right now we are in the process of reinventing who we are and it isn't easy.  We have always been able to see our family life in front of us, the things we do together as a team or even separately, life is different.  So many unanswered questions of 'what now', it is overwhelming.  I know in time all things will become clear but to be involved with church for years then to not have it in your life is unsettling.  I was changing, starting to feel comfortable again and trust that I could step back into a church building without the fear of being hurt.  Circumstances now have brought us to the point where we needed to leave the church we had started to call our home, we couldn't stay.  You can't go into a place where you don't feel safe, especially with your family.  It was a matter of how things were handled, it wasn't right and our family was hurt. 

Now, we move forward to a New Year.  All our paths open to what will be in store for us.  Some paths we can see others we can not.  So for now, I will do what is best for me.  I will rest, pray and restore me.  I will stop worrying about a past I can't change, forgive myself and others.  I will find peace this next year.