It's a rainy wet Wednesday here which woefully means no rowing--wah! Which also means I have a little free time on my hands and in my brain, so I thought maybe this would be a great day to begin a weekly accountability post--who knows, if I stick with it, I may even come up with a cute little blog button...maybe...
But, that's getting ahead of myself--one baby step at a time...I'd like to have a bit of accountability for a few different areas of life: weight/health, art, and Christian growth--and maybe finances, but that's not something I'm comfortable writing about publicly, so I'll have to do that on my own.
Today I'm beginning a Biggest Loser Challenge on Spark People. I've hit a serious wall working the Skinny Rules. I lost seventeen pounds and stopped, so I need to do something different. I'm hoping this challenge will give me the shove I need to get off the plateau and back to losing again--workin' on it!!
I also have a pretty cool project in the works that I'll hopefully be able to share with you here soon. I've prayed for a project like this, God answered, and now it's up to me to follow through. So my one word for the year, Focus, is of ultra importance and of the essence right now. Today is the last and final day of National Letter Writing Month, so I'm not taking on anymore arting challenges, projects, or classes until I see this project off on an official launch--pray for me?? I would truly appreciate it!! Yep, workin' on it!!
As for Christian growth--I need to let go of resentments. Confessional time. I am a great big giant grudge holder over the most ridiculous things--personal slights and affronts that quite possibly are all just in my own tormented head. It honestly holds me back and keeps me from enjoying so much more of life because I feel so bitter about the stupidest things. So, taking a deep breath, realizing it's NOT all about me after all, and...letting go...or...at least trying...to let it go....Workin' on it!!
Have a great Wednesday, and a wonderful week ahead! I hope to be back to post for Random Journal Day this Friday and link up with Dawn. Maybe you'll consider joining us in the fun? It'd be great to have you at the party!
Until next time...
xoxo
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Stillman & Birn Delta Series Sketchbook Review
Melissa's posted my Stillman & Birn Delta Series Sketchbook review over (here) today--thanks Melissa!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
God's Hands
Almost two years ago, by chance, I came across this blog, Beneath The Surface: Breath of Faith. It resonated with me on so many levels aside from being a Christian blog--the blog author's name was also Dawn, she was from Rhode Island, right close to where we would be moving in MA (as I waited maybe not so patiently for almost nine months without my hubby who was already here...), and she has ocean sounds playing in the background...I would click on this page and just let that sound wash over me and my broken heart.
2012 was not a great year for me. As I just said, hubby was here in New England for nine months while I was back in PA with our kiddo waiting for the house to finally sell. I was having seizures almost daily and going through all these crazy medical tests to find out what was causing the seizures. An MRI finally showed severe narrowing of my spine and a crushed vertebrae threatening permanent paralysis which had me rushed into cervical spinal fusion surgery mere days later to rebuild my neck. That was followed by a few months of painful physical therapy--still with no hubby, just a terrified little boy who worried his mama might die.
God saw us through that year with the blessing of my amazing friend, Missy, who went to every doctor appointment and medical test and emergency room visit--and, as fate would have it--later that year we would both move out of state in opposite directions, Missy to VA and we finally made it to MA!! Craziness...I know God was there the day Missy came into my life and I know He was there the day I came across Dawn's blog, as well.
Dawn and I continued to connect online. We followed each other on Twitter and Facebook and I tagged along as Dawn moved her blog to Enthusiastically, Dawn. We worked our way through Beth Moore's 70 day devotional, Whispers of Hope earlier this year, and then yesterday we were blessed with the opportunity to finally meet face to face as Dawn was hosting an (in)RL conference at her house! I was excited and nervous...I'm not brave about meeting new people--it frankly scares the bejeebers out of me, and I woke up feeling rather yucky and headachey, thinking maybe I should just stay home inside my safe little shell...But Dawn encouraged me, hubby pushed me, and out the door we went to Rhode Island!
It was a beautiful, if rainy, drive, over crazy steep bridges connecting all these cute little islands that make up the Rhodey state. I lost count of all the lighthouses and gawked at great ships, peeked at beautiful houses perched over amazing ocean views...Yeah, Rhode Island is an awesome, gorgeous chunk of US! Finally we made it to Narragansett and pulled into Dawn's driveway. Her doggie, Banjo, barked from the livingroom window, and Dawn came out to greet us. All my nerves washed instantly away and I was so glad I came! A couple more friends gathered with us for the conference, we giggled over coffee and chocolate as Banjo snored contentedly on the floor beside us.
The afternoon slipped by so fast and it was time to head back home. I hugged my new 'in person' friend good-bye, so thankful for this day to meet face to face. I'm already looking forward to spending time with her again, maybe here, maybe there--I know there'll be beach involved!! God is good, so very, very good!
2012 was not a great year for me. As I just said, hubby was here in New England for nine months while I was back in PA with our kiddo waiting for the house to finally sell. I was having seizures almost daily and going through all these crazy medical tests to find out what was causing the seizures. An MRI finally showed severe narrowing of my spine and a crushed vertebrae threatening permanent paralysis which had me rushed into cervical spinal fusion surgery mere days later to rebuild my neck. That was followed by a few months of painful physical therapy--still with no hubby, just a terrified little boy who worried his mama might die.
God saw us through that year with the blessing of my amazing friend, Missy, who went to every doctor appointment and medical test and emergency room visit--and, as fate would have it--later that year we would both move out of state in opposite directions, Missy to VA and we finally made it to MA!! Craziness...I know God was there the day Missy came into my life and I know He was there the day I came across Dawn's blog, as well.
Dawn and I continued to connect online. We followed each other on Twitter and Facebook and I tagged along as Dawn moved her blog to Enthusiastically, Dawn. We worked our way through Beth Moore's 70 day devotional, Whispers of Hope earlier this year, and then yesterday we were blessed with the opportunity to finally meet face to face as Dawn was hosting an (in)RL conference at her house! I was excited and nervous...I'm not brave about meeting new people--it frankly scares the bejeebers out of me, and I woke up feeling rather yucky and headachey, thinking maybe I should just stay home inside my safe little shell...But Dawn encouraged me, hubby pushed me, and out the door we went to Rhode Island!
It was a beautiful, if rainy, drive, over crazy steep bridges connecting all these cute little islands that make up the Rhodey state. I lost count of all the lighthouses and gawked at great ships, peeked at beautiful houses perched over amazing ocean views...Yeah, Rhode Island is an awesome, gorgeous chunk of US! Finally we made it to Narragansett and pulled into Dawn's driveway. Her doggie, Banjo, barked from the livingroom window, and Dawn came out to greet us. All my nerves washed instantly away and I was so glad I came! A couple more friends gathered with us for the conference, we giggled over coffee and chocolate as Banjo snored contentedly on the floor beside us.
The afternoon slipped by so fast and it was time to head back home. I hugged my new 'in person' friend good-bye, so thankful for this day to meet face to face. I'm already looking forward to spending time with her again, maybe here, maybe there--I know there'll be beach involved!! God is good, so very, very good!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Weekend Review
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| She's actually too cute to take seriously as a supervisor and will eat the paper you're working on if you're not paying attention... |
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| Easter Sunday's page |
This last one above I found on Pinterest and just had to include it. In learning lettering styles, it's great practice recreating pieces you love, like I did with this Lori Vliegen page in my Stillman & Birn Delta series sketchbook yesterday:
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| I had done this as a postcard for National Letter Writing Month and just had to include it in my sketchbook |
And one more postcard to head out for NLWM. It's been a great month with lots of fun mail, though it has also been more of a distraction from getting done the things that I really needed to work on, so I learned my lesson and withdrew myself from ICAD this year before I lose two more months to playing rather than actual productivity...
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| Lesson learned.... |
Today we have a follow up doctor's appointment for Bug's pink eye which has cleared up beautifully, then a few errands in Dartmouth. Tomorrow I'm heading to bloggy friend, Dawn's (from Enthusiastically, Dawn) for an (in)RL meet up in beautiful Narragansett, RI! I'm so excited! I've followed Dawn's blog for years, since before we moved up to MA, and we've become online friends along the way. So I'm really looking forward to actually getting to meet her face to face, and all her sweet furbabies and playing at the beach in Narragansett! Yay!
So thanks as always for stopping by, have a fantastic weekend, and, God willing, I'll be back with more next week!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Weekly Review
Spring came, spring left. It was warm for a few days then it snowed a wee bit. The weather has yet to make up its mind about just what it wants to do.
Meanwhile, National Letter Writing Month is already winding towards the end of the month with little more than another week left. How quickly the time flies. I remembered to take a couple pics of outgoing mail this week:
And continuing on with An A to Z of Me--two entries in one month!
And finally, Bill hung up his birdie condo last weekend and we had full occupancy in seriously less than fifteen minutes:
Our McBug made honor roll then came down with pink eye--poor love. Hoping to make it to the sunrise service tomorrow morning, then just a quiet day at home. Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Easter! Thanks for stopping by!
Meanwhile, National Letter Writing Month is already winding towards the end of the month with little more than another week left. How quickly the time flies. I remembered to take a couple pics of outgoing mail this week:
A couple postcards done with my Inktense Blocks on watercolor paper, drawn with Pitt pens. And below is a water bottle I filled with some funky fabrics for my pen pal who makes the cutest dolls, wrapped with a postcard and shipped off to Texas:
A couple doodles from the prayer journal:
And continuing on with An A to Z of Me--two entries in one month!
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| My take on Valerie's page..I wasn't happy with how the paper buckled under the vellum quotes, but its cheap paper and cheap paper buckles.... |
Our McBug made honor roll then came down with pink eye--poor love. Hoping to make it to the sunrise service tomorrow morning, then just a quiet day at home. Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Easter! Thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Lotsa Goodies
Okay, first an apology for the blog whiplash...I'm giving Blogger one more try since I'm not quite sure how to really personalize Live Journal and I have projects under way that I'll really need more pages and options to play with on a blog, so back again, back again...Hopefully this'll be the last move (oh, we've said THAT how many times before??)
Anyway--so much to show you this week!! First, it's our final week in Whispers of Hope and it's all winding down so fast! I have a few more Scripture doodles to share--and I do intend to carry on with this prayer journal even after the study in Whispers of Hope is done, though I may only do one or two verse doodles a week...we'll have to see how that plays out....But here's this week's:
And this beautiful stitched card is another favorite that showed up in my mailbox just today!
Anyway--so much to show you this week!! First, it's our final week in Whispers of Hope and it's all winding down so fast! I have a few more Scripture doodles to share--and I do intend to carry on with this prayer journal even after the study in Whispers of Hope is done, though I may only do one or two verse doodles a week...we'll have to see how that plays out....But here's this week's:
AND!! It's National Letter Writing Month!! So far I've sent out almost twenty cards and I've received fifteen. I have a really wonderful pen pal this year, Melinda Jakobovits, who makes the most adorable dolls and she sent me this little sweetie:
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| Isn't she just the cutest in her little postal cancellation dress?? |
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| You just never know what lovelies will be waiting for you! |
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| A little sampling of the great cards I've received |
Most of the cards I've sent this year have been printed versions of cards and art I've done previously. I did sit myself down and tangled this card for one of our participants today (and it just happened to address the weekly Diva's challenge to use initials for a string, just not my initials but the initials of the person I made it for! So tricky...hahaha!)
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| It's been FOREVER since I've done any tangling! |
And not to be left out of the creative loop, my honey built me a little birdie condo for all our busy nesters outside--he's so awesome!
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| I've named it Blueberry Place |
So, thank you, thank you, thank you for coming back and checking in! I promise to really stick with Blogger and try to figure out the bugs to make this blog work...Have a great weekend everyone!!
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