Challenge number 2!

  This is a layout for a recipe challenge at the Paper Mixing bowl. This is my first time visiting this blog. If you have never checked out the blog you need to stop by. I was blown away by the work of the DT. I humbly submit my layout that meets the recipe.

I used the challenge colors of red white and green.
 I added a bow and also have tons of snowflakes not only are they on the paper but I put a glitter ribbon with snowflake on it over the red flags. Also the cord that everything is "hung" on is metallic.
 I journaled about a tradition. When my kids were young Jeremy played Santa and  handed out the presents. This year he passed the honor down to his daughter Olivia. She let Emme assist her. Was really fun to watch them enjoy the task so much. Also the stocking is actually a gift tag that I made this year. I made them all the same since I needed so many. I hope that I followed the recipe correctly?????
  Thank you so very much for taking the time to visit my blog.
I hope for you a truly blessed 2013.
Brenda

First challenge of 2013

  I have never entered a challenge at The Use it Tuesday site so excited to try something new on the first day of the new year. The challenge was to start thinking about 2013 and to make a project using my stash.  This is super simple but meets the guidelines. I have chosen the word "intentional" as my word for 2013. One of my intentions is to journal with more purpose. So I decided to make this to get me off to a good start. The notebook is one that came in a 2 dollar grab bag at Michaels a ways back. I covered it with craft paper from the stash. When I was covering it I was transported back to my childhood when we had to cover our books for school and I used paper bags. Every stamp that I used on the project was previously uninked. The alphabet is one that was given to me from a fellow scrapper from her stash since she has gone totally digital. No telling about the butterfly and flowers. Had actually almost finished this journal when the internet went down. we were trying to figure it out what was wrong and I found the butterfly on the floor  in the alcove next to the router stand.... I love it and it makes me happy so decided that finding it was serendipity and it needed to go on the project. The first page is going to be a copy of yesterdays blog post listing the 12 things I intend to be intentional about this year.

Thanks for taking the time to visit.
 I hope for you a truly blessed 2013.
Brenda

It is a new year

   On one of the boards that I regularly visit they asked us to pick one word to "adopt" for 2013. that was an easy one for me the word is intentional. In the last quarter of 2012 that word has come up for me several times. I have heard it in sermons and read it in Bible study, even heard it spoken  on the radio. Each time I hear it I immediately start thinking about how I have been living my life. I tend to spend short spurts of it living with intention and purpose and large chunks of it holding on for dear life. I battle depression and when I am in that mode I am just barely existing. I do not seem to pay any attention at all to how I am living my life and how I am impacting others.Yes when I get depressed it is the ultimate selfish act. (no it is certainly not intentional oops there it is again) but  it seems to take me so much effort just to make it through  the day that I do not make time to consider others.So for 2013 I WANT to live with INTENTION,
   I have set 12 intentional guides  for myself. I am placing them in my blog so that they will be readily accessible and in front of me to help me stay on track. I am sure that I will read them MANY  times throughout the year and hopefully will have a positive report come 2014.


1) Intentionally embrace the phrase Less of me and more of thee.

      John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.”

2} To speak with intention. Do my words edify or tear down?

     Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful            for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 3) to spend my money intentionally. Do I need it? If it is a want will it bring me joy? Do I want to care for it?
      Will it improve my life?

   1 Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and   we can take nothing out of it.
 
 4) To intentionally pay down our debt (pay OFF my visa) using the principles of financial Peace

 5)To journal with intention...not just occasionally

 6) Make an intentional effort to give up guilt. To offer myself forgiveness as I would others.

    2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 7) Intentionally purge my belongings, move closer to having all my belongings bringing me joy. . 

 8) Be more purposeful and intentional in my Bible Study 

     Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

 9) Be much more intentional in my giving of my time my talents and resources. And truly be intentional in     trying to use what I have to encourage others.

      John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

 10)   I want to be more intentional about taking care of myself. I have started a few good habits in 2012.        I  want to continue those and build on them. Eat even better, exercise with more purpose, continue to lower my use of chemicals.

 11) I want to be more intentional in setting goals both long and short term. Not just ambling through and getting to the end of a time period and have regrets about the way I spent my time.

  12) I want to be far more intentional in my use of the media including computer time.

  Well there it is my list for 2013 in black and white. I look forward to a new year with all the challenges it will bring. I truly hope that I will be able to say that I am better for having lived it when it is time to re visit this list  as 2013 draws to a close.


 I hope for each of you a New Year full of promise and blessings.
Bring it on 2013!!
Brenda

First wedding layout from Second Wedding

  This is the first layout for Amanda's wedding. This is a picture that was modified on instagram and I just liked it a lot. She got the copies of all her wedding pictures this week so I am sure I will have too much fun with them!! I used the December  sketch at Artful Delight for this layout. I really like the sketch a lot.  One of the yahoo groups I belong too has made me understand how much quicker a layout goes if you actually have a collection of papers and not a hodge podge as I usually do . All the papers here are from Colorbok Antique Paperie, which was a gift from my secret Santa. I love it and will use the whole collection for wedding pictures I am sure!
The sketch

  My take

 Thank you for taking the time to look.
Have a blessed day.
Brenda

Joy to the World

   Yesterday was the children's Christmas program at church. I am so blessed to have Skyler and Neal here to attend church with me. It makes my heart happy!Neal was a lamb and Skyler was a shepherd. The program was really good and both boys did great!
  I am entering this layout in 3 challenges Sketch Inspirations sketch #350, Frosted Designs Day 5, 5 golden things, and SNC challenge to use the word "joy," Also, this is the first time I have ever gotten up the guts to write the journaling directly on the layout. I have always admired when others did that but just could not bring myself to do it. Well, I have crossed that bridge and I am not totally unhappy with it.

  I thought I would have more trouble with 5 gold or yellow things than I did. 1) the background paper has gold snowflakes 2) the patterned paper has a gold background 3) the title is gold 4) the background of the ornament embellie is gold (and I added gold stickles) 5) the ribbon around the pictures is gold 6&7) the brads at the top 2 are yellow.
  I hope for you the true wonder of the Christmas season. I hope you will take a moment from the hustle and bustle and reflect on the awe of the season.
Brenda

Christmas already!

  It is so very warm here in Georgia it is hard to believe Christmas is no longer creeping but running up on us!! Saturday was a crazy busy day...... Adrienne and Ben managed to squeeze in a trip to the tree farm with Bens family.  This was the boys first trip and they had sooooo much fun. The photos were not that great but had to "save" the day anyway.

  This layout is based on a sketch challenge at SNC. I am also going to enter it in Day 4  at Frosted Design.This challenge required you to used 4 different patterned papers. This is a new site to me and I am thrilled that I will be enter in the refer a friend contest. What an awesome giveaway!

Details: I started with a free pattern from Scappydew... but changed it up a bit. The holly came from the gallery at the MTC site. The font is Moxies fall frolic (except for the C had to use MTC for that as all the Cs were little and I needed a Cap) Also used MTC for the date.

    Also going to share a super cute project that my grandsons and I made for their church teachers. I bought the light bulbs 50% off at Hobby Lobby! Entire project was under a dollar and super cute!

 
Hope that today you will experience true Joy while preparing for Christmas!
Brenda

A layout finally!

  I am so very happy to have a layout done. It has been almost a month since I finished one. And I am actually patting myself on the back as this is the one that frustrated me so much that I walked away. I actually went back and finished it. I got totally exasperated trying to place the photos. I saw the challenge at The Paper Girls Challenge Blog this week and decided since I had the right number of pictures already printed and ready to go I would give it another whirl. I started messing with the photos and spent WAY TOO LONG trying to get the layout going. But had an aha moment and decided on this configuration and then it was a snap. The last problem was figuring out how to journal. That is something that is very difficult for me as my handwriting is so wonky. But though I do not love it I can stand it on this layout. LOL

This is the Grooms cake. When we went to the cake tasting Ben already knew that this was his choice! It was a huge hit. Once people started eating it, it was a total free for all! Of all the wedding pictures that made their way to facebook this cake was the most popular.

Thank you for taking the time to look.
Have a truly blessed Christmas season.
Brenda