BEST WAY TO MAKE CARDS

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the stunning "Simple Stories" card kits!

MORE RECENT LAYOUTS

Hi! Hello! Howdy!... Many Years Later...

After an extensive break, I've found myself feeling creative again ... Just wanting to share some layouts.

LATE MARCH SNOW

I seriously can't complain because we have had more of a Winter this year than we've had for the past two years... but I still miss "long ago" days of knee deep snow that sticks around for days. The types that we had when I was growing up where you could count on having clean enough snow each year for the rare treat of snow ice cream! As for this little surprise of this year's "Springtime" snow on March 24th, I was quite delighted and felt that driving around with the new shovel {which was purchased for the last predicted "BIG" which turned out to an almost nothing snow event} clearly had something to do with bringing this storm on. As for the day, it was a dark cloudy day (we tend to have sunny skies when it's snowing) with quite the chill in the air. It looked and smelled like Winter... It was a day to stand by the window and be amazed by the beauty... it was a day of being thankful for living in the country. Of course, the next day... it's back to business of the snow melting quickly and leaving behind an ugly yard of mud!

1st picture - the road on the East side of my house.
2nd picture - now the West side... See the Fire Hydrant? Go down just a bit further, then do you see the little house on the right side? That's how close I live to my parents... simply no excuse that I don't get down to see them more.
3rd picture - house... the Blue part really needs painting this year and I'm SO done with that shade of Blue!!!
4th picture - The storage garage below the back of the house. I swear this thing is haunted & no way in the world am I going near it, much less inside of it!!!
5th picture - snow on trees....... yes, proof that this is country because I am surrounded by trees!

So my sweet dear friend, Lisa and I have been trying really hard to get back to being disciplined in three areas even though the poor girl is up to her "eyeballs" these days with homework! At the beginning of the new year, our goal was to make regular time to scrap, to do daily devotions and to get back into the "very dreaded" gym habit. We're in the process of getting back to the devotions and are making a bit of progress, then starting tomorrow, we have signed up for a daily sketch challenge that will last through the month of March. Now as for the gym habit, um that's soon to come **cough, cough, YUCK**

**Be sure to join in on the fun during the month of March!**

A personal tour of Longwood University given by Daniel........ (from September 2012)

LIFE...... When I should have all the time in the world, yet I struggle with getting a grasp on what is most important to accomplish! Most of my close friends know the struggle that I've had with my health and then there are the times when I've needed many shoulders to lean on as my son was preparing to take off for college in order to discover his path in life. At my church, Hyland Heights Baptist Church, I joined an amazing group of ladies in a daily Bible Study (with a weekly meeting) which also included being taught a different lifestyle, a healthier lifestyle. At first, for me it was easier than ever before and it didn't bother me to eliminate white bread, white rice, pasta and sugar from my meals. What I struggled with was developing a routine for exercise. Don't get me wrong, I exercised but not on schedule... Oh how I hated going to the gym and how my "getting older" joints ached but even with what little I did do, I still was shocked about losing around 50 lbs. Like so many other times in my life, "I know how to lose it, I just don't know how to keep it off" so I am struggling because I don't want to go backwards, to get too far off course, to quit like I so often do. I rather liked having energy and feeling good early in the morning because I am SOOOOOO not a morning person! So back to LIFE....... I'm spending all the time that I have trying to regroup, to find balance, to bring back things that I enjoyed in life, mostly creating layouts because it has become a rare event for me..... not because I don't have the time but I spend most of my time organizing, reorganizing and searching for what I want to use. My style has major league changed because I can't even comprehend being able to process a creative idea of my own these days so when I do scrap it is usually from sketches or by being inspired by the work of someone else. Here's a couple of things that I did crank out before my style and method changed. **Oh Daniel is doing just fine in college, recently started his 2nd semester, although he's still majoring in Biology, he's taken the leap to changing his Secondary Education Comprehensive to Minoring in Psychology. I'm perfectly fine with that because he really enjoys both subjects and does well in them also!

LAYOUTS USING ECHO PARK (my true love of patterned paper) and BASIC GREY. Also all 3 are of our pet dog..... Never meant to be a dog owner but he was going to be put down due to crowded shelter and well, I seem to have a soft spot although it was only meant to be for fostering him until another home was found, um that was two and half years ago. He's not so bad, just very quirky, needy and spoiled rotten by Darrell however you couldn't ask for a sweeter or loving dog. The "Echo Park" layout is of his first Winter and oh how he loves the snow, we just don't get much of it!

C'est Magnifique Kits: Bits & Pieces Giveaway

C'est Magnifique Kits: Bits & Pieces Giveaway: Hi everyone!  It's time for us to post our monthly Bits & Pieces Giveaway.   Leslie, the owner of C'est Magnifique Kits has put together ...

It's a beautiful day and I am truly blessed! Trying to create a habit of checking in and posting on my blog so here's a couple of little things for today...

The picture on the layout is one of Daniel from 3 years ago when he was 15 years old. It was also smack in the middle of his long black hair stage (thank goodness, kids usually grow out of these stages!) Journaling reads: Daniel is okay with being different... He says it doesn't matter if you don't act or dress like your friends and that what is most important is how many people that you can touch through a smile, kind word or helpful hand! Yes, Daniel is different but I am proud of who he is becoming...

...next is just a little card that I whipped up using some Basic Grey (inside and outside pictures).

I ADORE creating these!!! What a perfect way to let your dear friends and those who may be going through troubling times to know that you care about them? I am gathering my supplies to start the production of my 16th Prayer Journal... Did I mention how much I love making these, lol???