Wow me MIA!!!

Well I know it's been awhile, but the Holiday season always takes a toll on me. For some this is probably the happiest season, for me it's been like the Holiday Blues. I don't know if it's the season, the weather, or more than likely is memories I would rather forget. So today I decided to brave the blogging world and give you a year in review both personal and crafty wise. As many of us scrapbookers do I started this year with a word for the year that word was GROW. Can I say that I thought at first it would be scrappy wise, but I have grown. What do I mean by this, well not in inches, but just at look at my life a little differently. It was not an easy year at times, but I was able to take action in a more positive way. I seeked council, I asked for help physically and emotionally, but most of all spiritually. I remembered that prayer always helps, I decided to ask God yes God to help me with the issues I was having with Chris. Can I say how that prayer continues to be answered in so many ways, step by step. My son Chris has an awesome MSC(Medicaid Service Coordinator) Jazmene. She has helped us in so many ways, from respite programs, to now we have a home attendant on the weekends to help with Chris. This is a blessing, the funny thing is she doesn't feel she does enough, Girl let me tell you , she has given me peace of mind. There were times when I knew I was losing it, and I would call her and cry, scream, but yet she listened and I think at times cried with me. So for this I am thankful that God put her in our path.
In prayer I also found my way back to church, and because of that change my son has been so much better, he is calmer on the weekends especially when he is at church it's like a peace comes over him.
This year has been difficult, and yet I am blessed. What you may not know is that my husband had an accident on the job, this has not been easy. It's been about 4 mos, of him being home still trying to recover from his surgery. It's a long process, but yet I'm blessed because he is still here.
Oh and did I mention somewhere that I'm going to be a Grandma, I know I didn't lol it still sounds weird, but you see how I have been blessed. I am so looking forward to May and holding my first grandchild. I will really be scrapping then!!! lol

Scrappy wise I was able to be part of the She Art Classes, I really enjoyed being creative using paint and really looking within my soul. Christy Tomlinson is an amazing teacher if you have never dabbled in her art classes you really have to just give it a try. You will be amazed at what you create. It's truly inspiring. Girl it's all about you!!!
I have not recently created but, I do have a lot of scrappy new stuff to play with. I already have a New Years Day planned with my sister in law to just create. Looking forward to digging my hands once again. With that said here are some of my favorite projects this year.

Being Thankful...

I am thankful to have these hands. Yes you have read correctly, let me share why. You see God has blessed these hands. These hands went from holding my mothers hand to being a mother and nurturing my own children. These hands were held by a grandfather who adored his granddaughter and taught her love. These hands were burned by a father who taught her fear, but these hands learned that abuse was not passed on. With these hands I took and oath to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. These hands learned to caress, to show love, to create, to cook, but more importantly these hands have learned to lift up high and praise the Lord in the Good times and in the bad times. Many times as a child these hands covered my face in fear, these hands held my tears then, and hold them now. These hands wipe away the tears, but OMG when God is in the midst those tears are somehow turned into joy. Because even at my lowest these hands have been able to seek God. So I am thankful for what God has allowed my hands to do. thanks for stopping by....

My Paper Treehouse is having a Being Thankful Faith Blog hop, you can follow along and be blessed by all the testimonies the ladies have shared.

Winner of Whom Shall I Fear Blog hop...Blessed layout

First I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments. As I read them I was not only blessed, but also encouraged. It's awesome to be part of a group of sisters who love God, who are not afraid of what people will say. Who would have known 6 yrs ago when I began scrapbooking that my passion for this art would 5 yrs later lead me to a woman who had a passion for God, who was not afraid to freely speak what the Lord had in her heart. I know being part of her team for a brief moment that there were some obstacles that I will call stumbling blocks, and yet she persevered. She continued her work, because it was a calling. I'm sure there were times where she must have felt should I continue, can I say I am so glad she did. Let me share why? One year ago I was at one my lowest moments when I found a call for a Design Team call, this was different it was not only about promoting her store then, but it was more about sharing the love of God. When I say I was at my lowest it had been 5 yrs that I had stopped serving the Lord and I felt as though my whole world was coming down on me and for a brief moment I thought of yes ending it all. Suddenly I remembered God, and I exclaimed loudly with heart wrenching tears for God's forgiveness. That weekend I reconciled my life to the Lord once again, and the road has not been easy. I was going on and off to church yet God always found a way to speak to me. How? well how funny that Nana Campana continued fiercely with her Blog Hops the reason why was to encourage, bring the lost souls to God through His word. I had stopped being part of the Blog Hop, but I always read of God's love through the Hops. When I found myself recently in one of those heart wrenching moments I got the notice of the Whom Shall I Fear Blog hop, and I thought Lord I know you are speaking to me. I need not be afraid, I have you back in my heart, my life and even better my family is slowly a part of that vision you once promised me. How can I be afraid, yes I had little faith yes I had stumbling blocks, and yet the Lord was able to pick me after each fall. I am slowly building my house on the Rock, but I know that this house will not fall. I thank you Nana for continuing your Calling, your courage, your faith has blessed me in so many ways. For me it's not easy to say I love someone, but I feel this for you not because of your works but because I am truly blessed to have you in my life. thank you all for stopping by.

Ephesians 4:11-15

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Here's a layout to share with you all, my beautiful daughters and I.

The winner for GC from Scrapbook.com is

Patsy

please send me your email info.

Whom Shall I Fear Blog Hop

I am truly excited to be part of the My Paper Treehouse Whom Shall I Fear Blog Hop. This month we are focusing on the theme of Fear and we pray you find hope in the midst of any fear you may be experiencing. Join us as we showcase the talent the Lord has given us through projects that reflect what we know about God. The hop begins over at www.mypapertreehouse.blogspot.com, so if you just happened to find this blog, make sure to go on over there first. If you came from (Zeni's) blog, you are in the right place! Know that we are praying for you!

Before we can ask the question: "Whom shall I fear?", we must first define the word FEAR. According to Dictionary.com, Fear is "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. " It is interesting, though, that the original Webster's Dictionary (1828) defines fear as the following: 1. To feel a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotions of alarm or solicitude. We fear the approach of an enemy or of a storm. We have reason to fear the punishment of our sins. When you contrast the end of the definition provided, you can tell that the reasons behind our fears have changed.

With that change has come great compromise and a HUGE loss of the reality of the greatest thing we should fear... GOD!In both definitions it is clear that fear comes from an expectancy of danger, pain, or evil. All of the threats that we face on earth can potentially take our physical lives away, but they have absolutely no power over what will happen with our souls. Interestingly enough, more people are afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying... and the truth is that to die apart from Christ would bring destruction to both body and soul.

You see, we fear losing our jobs, our children, our homes... We fear the dark, or changes that come our way... We fear thieves, and guns, and accidents; yet we refuse to fear the Lord. The Bible says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). I always wondered why this was true, until I came across the following verse: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) God is the ONLY ONE who can destroy both your body and your soul! What a scary thought!

In both definitions it is clear that fear comes from an expectancy of danger, pain, or evil. All of the threats that we face on earth can potentially take our physical lives away, but they have absolutely no power over what will happen with our souls. Interestingly enough, more people are afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying... and the truth is that to die apart from Christ would bring destruction to both body and soul.

How is it that we do not FEAR this reality?

To be honest I myself didn't Fear this reality, oh I was very much aware of it though. I knew in the back of my mind I needed to find the road back to Christ, but it was not easy there was always something holding me back. Yes I can say that part of it was me, but my Pastor's wife Sonia always says that the enemy knows that if you come back he will have no control over you. Two weeks ago our entire household of 5 was getting ready for church when 5 minutes before we are ready to walk out I begin to get stomach pains, I'm like no way I have to go to church it's like a need. No one in the house was fighting or making excuses not to go right then I decided who is more powerful, why am I afraid? Then I remembered Psalm 27:1 " The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? " My God is in control of my life and my family's life, we have to go back to Exodus and remember when Moses was talking to his people in Chapter 14:13 "Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

You see it's not easy standing firm because in life there are a lot of obstacles, but we need to remember the Fear of the Lord in both definitions, and ask yourself do I want to die without Christ in my life the answer is NO. Am I fearful of God? my answer is I respect that He is a powerful God, should I be afraid of what He can do. NO I am fearful of what my life would be without God. It is important that our relationship with God, through His son Jesus Christ, be solid. So that in the end we will have eternal life. So I will leave you with an excerpt of Exodus 14:13 "Do Not Be Afraid, Stand Firm"


For your next stop you have to hop on over to Tammy's Blog

Don't forget to leave a comment, I have $15 Gift Certificate for one blessed member. I will announce winner on Tuesday.

Stress Releaser..

So many things went on this past week, it was one of those heartwrenching weeks. I know that everything in the end will be alright. I was able to create a little it's my stress releaser. Here are some of the layouts I created for Tallyscrapper's October kit
Thanks for stopping by.. also stop by tomorrow and join me in My Paper Treehouse Blog Hop...

Pencil lines Sketch 253

Yes I'm late to submit, but here's my take on the sketch. I really loved the idea of the doily's who knew that cake doily's would really be so popular in the scrapbooking world. I'm sure that when I told my husband the other day I needed to go to Michaels and pick up something he never thought it was for cakes. LOL thanks for stopping by.

Survivor Challenge Week 3

I really loved this weeks Survivor challenge over at Tallyscrapper, it was inspired by an Apple ad. We had to use the title "Think Different" one of Steve Jobs motto's. I created a canvas and used lots of paint, misting, and some creative stamping. here's the ad:

and here's my take on it:


thanks for stopping by...

Faith Banner....

Yes I am thinking Christmas already, though really thinking about it the banner could be used for Easter too. I used Basic Grey's Eskimo kisses line along with Clear Scraps Banner. I truly love it when a project comes together. I want to say thanks to friend Kattya, for inspiring and for motivating me to create and put ideas together. So here it is hope you like it!! Thanks for stopping by....

Week 2 Survivor layout over @ Tallyscrapper

So this weeks challenge was inspired by a Manufacturer October Afternoon. Our challenge was to be inspired by one of the lines at October Afternoon. We had to use a  TITLE, with no variations, on our layout after one of their lines. Oh and how the possibilities were endless. I had the perfect photo for the Boarding Pass line. My husband had taken this photo of me and my girls on the plane, can you say perfect!!!!  

On another note, I recently decided not only to start submitting to magazines but to also get my feet wet again and be part of a Design Team. I think my hiatus is over and to be honest I need to focus more on my me time.  Well the good news is that I did make the Tallyscrapper Design Team and I love the gals there. I met at least 30 or more of the ladies at a weekend Rally and had the best of time. 
Also wanted to mention I used a sketch from Creative Scrappers to create my Survivor layout

Can't wait to work on October's kit check it out Here

Survivor Layout for Tallyscrapper...

So here it is the challenge was inspired Kelly Purkey's Map Layout my first thought was OH NO!!! I didn't even know where to begin, but I did it and I like it. Would not do this again though lol. thanks for stopping by... MUAH

creating cards...

I never thought I would enjoy creating cards. I love to alter and create pages from 12x12 to 8 1/2 by 11 but cards have always been challenging. Then it occurred to me that I have to stop looking at the size and create as though it was a layout. Now I really use my scraps on cards can I say I'm loving it!!!! Here are just a few that I created recently. Thanks for stopping by....

a little something I created....

finally using my stash from Websters Pages warehouse sale. I love this paper with the teacups so I decided to stickle it and do my journaling coming out of the teacups. thanks for stopping by..

Baby is cold outside...

Wow it's the middle of September and can I say I was not too happy waking up to cold weather. It is about 56 outside and a little too windy for me. The good news is that I can wear my UGGS again without looking too ridiculous. LOL. So I know it's been awhile since I've blogged. I have been creating just not posting. I have actually decided to submit my work to magazines and maybe just maybe will get one published. I also went out and did something else for myself I got my haircut shorter than usual. I took about 5 inches off my hair and I absolutely love it. I took a self portrait but I'm not very good at that I will post it, but when my daughter gets home I will have her take a full view photo of my hair. thanks for stopping by MUAH!

Go Mojo, Go Mojo lol...

I am so loving being able to create again. It's like my fingers are doing all the walking. Love this line by Lily Bee Design had to add to stickles of course to give it that bling bling I felt was missing!!! thanks for looking...MUAH

Mojo Madness....

I love this Echo Park pattern paper it is so Elisa girly girl. The photo is of Elisa on her stepping up ceremony. She is such a little poser. Thanks for looking.

lost my mojo....

but thanks to Creative Scrappers 166 sketch I was able to find some scrappy mojo back!!! I am now working on another layout today!!! I want to try to create a layout a day for the next 2 weeks. So here is crossing my fingers. lol thanks for looking

finally it is finished!!!

I have been working on this album for about a month and finally sat down and finished it!!! It makes me want just a little snow right now!!! LOL

SEW FUN!!!!

I have to say that it was amazing to start sewing again, no not on layouts but this time I actually used the sewing machine to make an apron. I saw this pattern online, and new I had to have it!!! Honestly I have had it for about 3 mos now, I decided to pick it up, cut it up and stitch it up!!! love how it turned out!!!! Here is Emily showing off my retro apron. She looks so cute in it, now if only she could cook me something that would be even more wonderful lol. thanks for looking.
Products used:
Stamping Up: fabric {pocket & neckline}
Basic Grey: Buttons

Surprise Elisa!!!

It all began in April my husband and I started planning our family vacation. As we are making our final decisions we decided not to tell Elisa that we were going to as she says it "Were dreams come true" LOL. So the scheming began only a few of our family and close friends knew we were going to Florida. What would we tell Elisa, this is how it began May 30th she is sitting by the laptop and yells woo hoo only 26 more days of school and then we are going to Florida, at first I was taken aback cause I knew I didn't tell her. Our conversation MOM: who told you we were going to Florida? Elisa: you did! MOM: When? Elisa: Do you remember when there was a commercial I asked you if we can go to Disney where dreams come true You said maybe we can go. MOM: right I said maybe I didn't say we were going I'm sorry we can't go it's just too expensive. Elisa: UMPH!!! then she says fine can we afford Pennsylvania? MOM: LOL yes we can afford Pennsylvania. So everyone who knew would tell her all the great things she would see in Pennsylvania on the day we were leaving I told her we have to take a plane to Pennsylvania! She says oh good cause I get car sick!!! LOL
On the plane the flight attendant made a special announcement just for Elisa at first she was confused but once she understood she yelled YES! It is so much fun seeing Disney through Elisa's eyes. Thanks for reading!!!

My baby is growing up

here she is getting her hair set for curls. Can you believe that she asked for curls. She was not a happy camper though when she realized 1. they were heavy on her head 2. they were pinned tight and 3. she needed to into the dryer after 5 minutes under she wanted it out. I kept saying just a few more minutes. LOL those were the longest 30 minutes of her little life, but in the end she had her beautiful curls. Here she is posing as usual. She was a little princess. Her ceremony was great she just loves the stage. She is so happy to be going to first grade in September. When I picked up her report card she tells me please, please tell me it's good. I tell her it was great as usual. I had a wonderful day.

I know it's been awhile since I posted, where have I been? It seems like I've been on a rollercoaster ride. I didn't realize just how busy June was going to be. Graduations, BBQ's and now getting ready to pack for my son who is going away for 2 weeks. Just seems like I have been running errands all month. I did start working on an acrylic album, but have not had time to sit and finish it. Hopefully will get to it soon. Thanks for stopping by.. Muah