Graduations Mean Summer is ALMOST Here

Hi Friends! It's been way too long since my last posting,our summer is nearly here. We've had lots of celebrating going on which for a crafter means cards, projects and ideas galore. I've celebrated family and 8th grade graduations, birthdays then high school graduations  for both family and friends. I love all the parties and celebrations, how about you? 
The photos above are oldies...2004. Yes Mikeal, we were all rooting for you when you graduated! Look how young you looked Mike :)

Ok so to start of all the graduate activity here is my darling granddaughter Megan graduating from 8th grade. We're so proud of you Megan!

With all the whirl of activity I've been visiting one of my favorite sites for ideas, Pinterest. Do you Pinterest? If you love it as much as I do be sure and follow me and follow the boards that interest you :) I love it and spend way too much time surfing and sharing ideas there. These days it usually is where I begin with a project or even to develop my ideas...I always say "one good idea leads to another" :) So please let me share with you my recent crafts.

Megan's Card

Megan's card is created from a stamped design and hand watercolored.

Just because I love sowing off my sweet grandkids I 'm throwing in a pic of my grandson Evan who was really quite ready to leave the ceremony...

now please?

Kendall's High School grad card

We also celebrated with our friends the Liu's...their daughter Becky graduated from High School and they through a party for her. Her mom Lisa made these incredible crepes from scratch...I didn't take pictures but I sure wish I had...for two reasons.Lisa's creps and all the toppings were really something AND she also made an incredible tribute wall out of photos for Becky. Below is the card I made for Becky.

Beckys card 

Our friends the Zenes's also had a graduate...Way to go Carter!! Here is the card i made for him.Shhhh I haven't got it mailed to him yet. They stopped by the day I was making the cards, LOL. 

Carter's Grad card
My grandnephew Andy graduated High School this year, we're so proud of you Andy!

I had fun making his card- Sorry I forgot to take a picture and this one was taken at the celebration.  I also made a photo album for his High School memories and I also missed taking pics but thanks to Tatiana, here are a couple photos.

Since making these there have been even more celebrations and fun reasons to create but for now I hope you enjoy seeing what I've been up to and reading my post.

A "GOOD THING": Thankful For

My "Thankful For" posts started back in November did not unfold like I had hoped, in fact my time set aside for blogging totally disappeared. Why do we think of being thankful as a "November tradition"?  Perhaps it is brought on by the excitement of the upcoming holidays and the planning of Thanksgiving. 

My goal truly had been to focus on being more grateful year round so I think beginning the New Year with reflections of gratitude is a "good thing" as Martha Stewart would say.

This is officially my second post on the topic of Thankful For... 
I'm so very Thankful for new beginnings. they come to us in many ways. This year has been one of practicing forgiveness as we let go of the past. It brings with it freedom.
Oh... and the New Year brings a new beginning too. 

How I Started 2014: THE NEW YEAR

The simple things in life bring so much joy...hanging out with two of our grandchildren on New Years Eve...creating, laughing, child's play...yes the simple things :) The ART of Beginning! I look forward to what this bright New Year will bring. Perhaps like the banner our granddaughter created it will be bright, colorful, and sparkly with some "throw back your head laughter" thrown in for good measure .

What Are You Thankful For?

 What Are You Thankful For?

In late 2011 a friend was talking about the fun mail art envelopes she had been creating for a swap partner and it was then I learned about Swap-bot. What a great find! One of my favorite pastimes today is participating in the many and varied swaps available at this site. Currently I am in a swap called Fall ATC-What Are You Thankful For? 

Wow what a topic. In a previous post I shared some thoughts about a friend, Karen Huss who has just recently died. The topic of Thanksgiving, Fall and Gratitude would normally bring to mind the color of Autumn, the crisp air and cooler temperatures, harvesting my apples, making apple butter and so many delights! While posting those thoughts I realized that although those are wonderful experiences, they do not really embody what I am truly grateful for. In fact, it is an exploration for me so I decided to begin a group of posts listing what I AM thankful for. I will include many of the normal and expected things I'm sure, but maybe you like me have a NEED to think more deeply and pen some of your own thoughts. I hope you'll share by adding some of your personal reasons to be thankful in the comments. 

Today I am thankful for God's love, His love helps us endure in times of sorrow and His love is there to rejoice with us in times of great joy!

How To Cultivate A Home And Heart Of Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. -Psalm 107:1

I know...it's a bit early to start talking about Thanksgiving...Or is it?
Thanksgiving... How do we create or cultivate a home and heart of Thanksgiving? As the season of Thanksgiving approaches we may find ourselves pondering this topic. Actually it has been on my heart alot lately for a number of reasons.
A dear friend discovered in the earlier part of this year she had stage 4 colon cancer.The same friend has been supporting her husband through his own battle with lung cancer this past two years and thier daughter has been having seizures from an unknown cause. Our friends have been an amazing example of "What do I have to be thankful for"? Through the pain, chemo, medical bills, changes the future has brought I witnessed a spirit of joy, Thanksgiving and gratitude. How did they manage to do that? We will be celebrating my friends life this week and saying our last goodbyes...it is on my mind as I prepare a talk to honor her. It won't be easy and yet it won't be hard. We have so many great shared  memories. Her life and legacy are in the lives she touched, sometimes just the simplest of gestures... a hug, a word of truth, an idea for our business teams. She will be sorely missed, I wish it could have been longer and I feel so privileged for having had her in my life.
One thing I loved was visiting her home during seasonal holidays. Her home showed off her love for beauty in the small things whether with people or the beauty within her home.
I found this website a while back, it inspired me. How to Create a Home and Heart Of Thanksgiving
She talks about tangible ways to create a home and heart of Thanksgiving...not just in this season but throughout the year.
I liked this idea from Denise's post:

• Have a visual way to leave encouraging notes and verses for the entire family. Use a chalkboard or whiteboard to write a daily scripture or thankful note.

I already have a cork & whiteboard up so I'm going to add a scripture  and note daily.  I also am going to start a series of Thankful For posts beginning today to remind myself and cultivate gratitude. These are not in order of importance but rather what is most on my heart today.

Do you like my digital paper and font? Here is a link so you can make one too. The one I used today from Shabbyblogsblog, Thank You Keren!Thanks Photobookgirl, I love the font links and digital paper she shared.

As we enter this special season it is my hope and prayer that you and I would take time to count our blessings. If you've had a difficult season could I encourage you to like my dear friend make it a choice to put on a spirit of joy, Thanksgiving and gratitude for whatever you can.

Hosting My First Swap-bot Swap

I swap with Swap-bot! I am so-ooo excited...I am hosting my very first Swap-bot swap! At Swap-bot there are lots of fun Groups to join. I am a member of Over 50 and Proud where the group admins invited us to get some swaps going...I finally took the plunge :) I hope to host lots more this year too so I will keep you posted friends, I'd love to have you join in too.
Since the weather is cooling down I thought an Warm & Fuzzy ATC swap would be great fun. Don't you just love that Warm & Fuzzy feeling? I was thinking about the pleasure we get from those experiences in life...that wonderful "warm & fuzzy" feeling wraps around us and we just wish we could have it forever! Sometimes it is from an experience, sometimes its because we have a new puppy, maybe you just saw your child get married. It may be a cup of tea and warm toast or pie. I get that feeling when I see a new baby... Anyway I think you get my drift...Anything that makes YOU wam and fuzzy. So I look forward to sharing my ATC and my partners too. I hope you will join in the fun too. Stop by and see what we've created and what we may be offering in the future:)

Sweet September BOLD X926

September brings a smile to my face, I love the change of colors, the crisp nights, garden fresh produce, the whirlwind of back to school and planning to celebrate another anniversary with my husband of almost 41 years! The first day of Fall is just one week away and so is our aniversary :)
We'll be savoring the memories of last year's travels around the country as we headed to Vermont, it was magical!
This year we will be celebrating in our fair state of Utah where we have some of our own astonishingly beautiful scenery. Perhaps we'll celebrate our anniversary a week or two later this year... A very exciting opportunity is about to be released and we are truely on fire with anticipation of it's launch. X926 is the code name...Sh-hhh don't tell anyone but the components of this new product and its opportunity will in September of 2013 mark the bold beginning of a momentous era within XANGO and across the MLM landscape!
Did you ever wish you had heard about something when it was still brand new...ground floor? Well I'm telling you now...This is a HUGE opportunity for those who take action now. Do YOU want to learn more? Click Here!