Snow Day!

There is just something about a snow day that is delightful. Especially if you have the pleasure of being able to cancel whatever is supposed to happen that day and snuggle in. Calls for a pot of something bubbling on the stove and a cup of hot chocolate or spiced tea. Mmmmm...brings back so many memories of being at home with my school-teacher mother--back when we got REAL snows. The kind that kept you out of school for weeks on end. We used to get those back in the day.

I did a scrapbook page last night of that picture of me with my birthday cake:

I used some old paper and cut the swirls, flower, butterfly and the numbers with Cricut using the Storybook cartridge. The butterfly and flower have some glitter on them too.

And I got a picture of the title page of my Project 365 album:

The clock and the "2009" is Cricut cartridge Graphically Speaking and the letters are Plantin Schoolbook.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

The thermometer says it's 27 but it feels colder. Looks like we are in for some winter weather, too.

It's been a great weekend. Very restful and fun. It probably wouldn't be fun for a lot of people, but it was for us! Reading, watching tv, scrapbooking. Today church and then lunch with Amy, Daniel, Lily and Aubrey and some of Daniel's family who were visiting. The company headed for home in Missouri and we went to Amy and Daniel's for a game of Harry Potter Clue.

Oh, and Aubrey had her official birthday on Friday. Where did that first year go??

Project 365 Pages--finally

Here are pictures of my finished pages. I am so much happier with the divided page protectors. I just couldn't get it to come together like I wanted. Then a trip to Hobby Lobby for the half price sale for an album (American Crafts) and page protectors (Ultra Pro) and I am a happy scrapper!

The cover:Cricut letters (Plantin Schoolbook) and Paper Studio paper

Week 1:

I used cardstock from Hobby Lobby and some Crate Paper die cuts. The calendars were printed on the computer and I am circling the appropriate week.

Week 2:

For these pages I used Hobby Lobby cardstock and some old My Minds Eye Everyday Tango from my stash.

I sure feels good to have these done! Now to get some more pictures printed while I'm on a roll!

Cricut Projects

Here is a centerpiece I made for Aubrey's birthday party and the bags and tags I made. All using Cricut--the Doodlecharms cartridge.

It was a great day with family!

There is a Reason...

...that I do not bake and decorate cakes for a living! This :

I did one of these candle cakes for Lily's first birthday. You could tell it's a candle, right? Anyway, I decided to make it a tradition to bake one for every future grandchild's first birthday. It too the ENTIRE day and nearly caused me to have a nervous breakdown. I don't know why--it just seemed that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong! And I am not that good, obviously, at decorating. But I was glad that I did it and everyone said it tasted wonderful. By the way, the candle is strawberry with strawberry icing and the flame is chocolate with white icing. That marbley looking part on the flame is supposed to look like fire. What can I say?

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Today we spent several hours running around in the bitter cold shopping for the Littlest Princess' birthday party on Sunday. The cold sure didn't keep people at home either! We actually had some snow on the way home, but it was too dry to do anything except blow around.

I know that we aren't used to these temperatures here in Tennessee, but I cannot tell you how many people I saw out today with no coat--in fact some in SHORT SLEEVES of all things. And I assure you it wasn't because they didn't have heavier clothes. Folks just don't think about how dangerous it would be if they had car trouble or something. Oh my, I sound like my mother-in-law! She always warned us to have coats and a blanket in the car when we went out "just in case you are stuck on the side of the road". Oh well She did give good advice so I guess it's okay if I sound like her.

Tomorrow I'm baking a cake for the party and making a centerpiece so maybe I'll have some pictures to post.

Memory Verse Day

Today is the 15th so that means it is time to pick a new memory verse for the LPM blog project. Again, I have chosen one that I think I really need. I am excited to be able to speak/pray this every morning from memory!

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8

Two More Things for 2009

I haven't really talked about a couple of other things that I am doing this year. That does not mean that they are not important. THE most important thing that I am doing is memorizing scripture along with my sisters on the Living Proof Ministries blog. You or may not know that LPM is Beth Moore's ministry and the blog has become very important to me. We have become a sisterhood (of Siestas--you'll have to go to the blog to see how that came about) of women who love God and who are very blessed by Beth and her teaching. I believe she is a prophetess to women in this time, and she is most certainly delivering the Word of God in a powerful way.

Anyhow, we are memorizing 2 scriptures a month for the entire year. I will have 24 verses in my little brain to call up when I need them for encouragement or to pray over myself when I am in trouble. I never would have thought I could do that, but with this support system, I do believe I WILL do it! So here is my first one:

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

a workman who does not need to be ashamed

and who correctly handles the word of truth."

2 Timothy 2:15

On Jan. 15th it will be time to choose another. I think I know what it is going to be. I am just waiting on confirmation from the Lord. Yes, I do believe that He will highlight the scripture that I need to learn and I am waiting for that to happen.

The other thing that I am doing this year is Ali Edwards' One Little
Word for 2009. You choose a word that expresses what you are working on for the year, or what you want to accomplish, or whatever speaks to you. I chose the word GROW. I believe that says what I want to happen in my life this year. I want to grow in faith, knowledge and awareness. Knowledge of the Word of God, and any other educational opportunity that presents itself; awareness of others and the needs around me as well as in the world; and of course an increase in faith. I hope to be able to look back at the end of the year and see the growth that has occurred.

Pictures at last!

This is my journal for keeping up with these scrapbook projects (see last post). I used some leftover MM Noteworthy and the lettering is the Alphalicious Cricut cartridge.

Instead of uploading every picture from my 365 project, I think I'll upload the pages when they are done. I've got to get those pictures printed and get busy on them. We are already 2 weeks into this year. I can't believe it!

Projects update

I spent the morning looking at some blogs of scrapbookers who are doing the Project 365. This has really turned into a huge thing in the scrapbooking world. There are so many people doing it. And because of all the drama over the fact that there were not enough Creating Keepsakes kits to go around, there are a lot of people doing their own version of it, like me. I'm going to get some pictures uploaded soon.


This has really made me look around everyday for something that I want to document. That has made me more aware of the little joys in life and THAT, my friends, is a very good thing.

My other project for the year is the Names of God book that I want to do. I was going to follow Patter Cross's plan but I found out that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I would like for this to be the Hebrew names of God and my plan is to use the book as a tool in prayer and study. So I have launched out on my own and found a list of the names and meanings on the internet. My first name for God is El. I have looked up my scriptures and I am ready to make my first pages. I plan to get going on that this week.

My priority this week, however, has to be sewing a birthday jumper for Miss Aubrey. We are celebrating her first birthday on this coming Sunday. She won't actually be one until the 23rd but Sunday was the best time to get everyone together. If all works our, we will have everyone together. That is not always easy, but it looks like we will make it. That's only our side of the family, though. Unfortunately no one from Daniel's side of the family is going to make it. So, more on that later.

Winter Weather Is Here

It is rainy and cold here today and looks like it'll be icy in the morning. Sounds like a good day to stay in, right? Noooooo. We had planned a trip to Wal-Mart so we went there with all the other folks who just HAD to have that milk, bread, eggs and tissue. Why do people (I admit, me too) go nuts when the weather turns bad? I don't know.

Looks like tomorrow will be a good day to stay in and get the rest of the Christmas stuff put away.

I went to God's Castle today!

Warning: Grandmother story!
Today after worship service (which by the way was great), Lily, our 3 year old granddaughter was looking around at our beautiful building. She said, "Oh, it's a castle! It's so pretty!" To which I replied, "Yes, it is a castle. It is God's castle." She continued to talk about the "castle". She asked, "Is it a princess castle?" "No, Sweetie it is God's castle. You are the Princess. God is the King of Kings."

Now, how sweet is that?

Today is a gloomy day here in northwest TN, but I am not gloomy. I had such a great time with God this morning working on a Beth Moore study, Believing God. I started this thing a good while ago and then got involved in other studies at church and never finished. I'm working on the last week and part of it is reflecting on your life and how God was with you every step of the way whether you were aware of it or not. Am I detecting a theme here? Seems that's what 2009 has been about so far. God has a way of doing that, you know. Bringing things in front of you over and over. He knows that this girl sometimes has to be hit over the head with something before she gets it! But He loves me anyway! Thanks be to God!

I just visited Patter's blog again and she is doing the Project 365 on her own too. I don't think that is a coincidence either. That thing keeps popping up over and over too. I don't know what God has in store for me in that project but I'm having to think that He is in it somehow. I can't wait to see what He is working out!

Okay, still no pictures but I'm going to work on that later. I'm still learning this thing.

Have a blessed day!

It's my birthday!

Happy birthday to me!

I must be getting old because yesterday and today have really made me reflect on my life and what I hope to achieve in the rest of it. My goal is to leave a legacy of faith in God for my children and grandchildren and generations to come. I want them to know Him and know how important He is to me. So now I'm working on ways to do that so that it is not just words but that they really SEE that in my life.

We had such a great time at our daughter and son-in-law's house yesterday. We took some finger food and hung out with them and the girls. We talked and laughed, watched Kung Foo Panda and played Harry Potter Clue while the girls napped and again after they went to bed. It was so much fun that we are going to get together this weekend and play some more. I'm going to actually attempt to post a couple of pictures later.

After while I'm planning on straightening up the craft room and getting some scrapbooking done. I may actually be able to post a couple of pictures of my projects too. If you don't know me, you don't know that that would be an amazing technological feat for me! So, we'll see how it goes.

I have a blinkie for my "names of God" project that I am doing with Patter at TripletheScraps but I have no idea how to add it. I tried last night until my blood pressure started going up and I quit. Maybe I can find some one who will take pity on me and tell me how to do it! I kept getting the message that the URL had illegal characters. Who knew that could happen?? I'll keep trying and maybe some day it will show up over there on the side. You never know!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I don't know when I have ever enjoyed the promise of a fresh new year more than I am today. Watching the Rose Parade, as I always do, and looking forward to spending time with our daughter and her family later. But more than that, I am looking forward to the blessings, and no doubt challenges, of the coming days.

For now, I hope that all of you have a wonderful year.