News

I am not so much addicted to Facebook, Twitter, Farmtown, etc. However, I am 100% hooked on Scrap Orchard!! This has been my digi-scrapping home for about 9 months now. This is hands-down one of the classiest, funniest, warmest sites I have been a part of to date. And, I have been a part of several now. We make each other laugh. We pray for each other. Oh, and there is a smidge (hahaha) of teasing that takes place, too. All in love :)

There have been a few CT (creative team) calls opened up since I arrived and I have submitted my application for most of them. To my disappointment I was not granted a spot with any of them. So, when a recent CT call appeared in the forum thread I, being persistent, applied. Also being pessimistic, I prepared myself for the rejection. The call was not due to be over until 2/25 so imagine my surprise (and fear) when I received an email 2 days BEFORE the call was to end. Yikes! That cannot be good. I did NOT want to open it as I was sure it was a dear, sweet let-down email. I even began running the let-down sentences in my head as I opened it. Here is what I read with my eyes:

Dear Helen,

Thank You so much for taking the time to express your interest in my designs, your support means the world to me. I know it's nerve wracking to put yourself out there like that! I very much enjoyed looking through your gallery and reading your application, and I am thrilled to offer you a spot on my creative team.

However.....this is what I read with my Minds-Eye:

Dear Helen,

Thank you so much for taking the time to express your interest in my designs, your support meansthe world to me. I know it's nerve wracking to put yourself out there like that! I very much enjoyed looking through your gallery and reading your application, however, at this time I am not able to offer you a spot on my creative team.

I seriously had to re-read it twice to make sure I had read it correctly. Holy Schmoly Batman, I made it! I made it on to the fab-u-lous team of LCC Amy Stoffel at Scrap Orchard!!! Let the happy dancin' begin! My day.....scratch that.....my WEEK.....no good either....my YEAR was made through 2 sentences. Without further ado, here is my first work as a CT for LCC Amy Stoffel.

The Kit: It's All About Me

And the layout I created with it!

The Kit: This Is Why I Scrap

And the layout I created with it:

The Kit: I'm Just Sayin'

And the layout I created with it!

Can you see now why I am so stinkin' excited?? Amy is a rockin' designer and I am honored to have been chosen to help show off this amazing kits!!! There you have it....my news!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend :)

xoxoxo

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An gymnist I am not!

It is Monday. Ugh.

Had to go grocery shopping after work. Ugh.

Fell down hillside. Ugh. Ouch.

I always wanted to be a gymnist when I was a little girl. I used to picture myself going round & round on the uneven bars but my favorite event was the floor routines. The running, cart-wheeling, back-flipping......I so wanted to be able to do that. However, 30 years later, the dream is dead. Why then, did I go and do a tremendously awkward somersault down my aunt's hillside tonight? I believe I should have scored a perfect 10 for ugliest execution. I guess somewhere deep inside me is that little girl who still wants to be a gymnist. It's that or I am just becoming the biggest klutz in the Midwest. Something tells me it is the latter.

Okay, Monday....I am closing the door on you. I want to forget all about you until tomorrow morning when I wake up reaching for more ibuprofen....then I shall curse you again.

So, how was YOUR Monday?? Please share and make me feel less ridiculous about mine.

xoxoxo
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Valentine's Day Memory Lapse!!

Found this amazing photograph of double hearts cast upon an open Bible. Thought is was appropriate since today is Valentine's Day and Jesus gave us the perfect gift through his sacrifice on the cross! Image below is linked to the photog's Flickr post!!



Woke up early today and it never occurred to me it was the actual day of Valentine's Day. Duh! There are really only 2 reasons I needed to remember this little bit of trivia.

#1....I would have found "something" red or pink to wear to church rather than blue. I told everyone I was color blind and thought I was really wearing red.

#2....I would have called my Aunt and wished her a happy birthday well before 5 p.m.!!!!!!

Come on brain.....is there a leak up there??? Are you losing oxygen??? Why oh why can't I remember ANYTHING anymore?

Well, I guess we know what is really important because I did remember Challenge #3 was out there in digi-world somewhere this morning. I found it and even created a LO before getting ready for church.

Here is what I did. This is all contingent upon my partner not wanting to do something more "alike" for our pages. I am waiting to confer with her before I post this in the galleries. If we go a different route then I look at it like this....I have a cute LO done.



Well, I am very tired. Need to put the computer (and me) to sleep. More later. Thanks for stopping by.

xoxoxoxo
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Cletus Take The Reel

It has been on crazy busy Friday at work. I am just whipped. Whipped, I tell ya! Gonna have to squeeze me in a nap before going out tonight. How old does that make me sound, I ask? Well, this is the big 4-0 year so what else do I expect, lol.

Going to see a fabulously funny comedian tonight at church. His name is Tim Hawkins and folks let me tell you, I will have tears from laughing so hard. Seriously. Some dear friends bought me a ticket so I wouldn't miss out this year. Thanks girlz!!

Here is one of Tim's video's called Cletus Take The Reel. If you know the song, Jesus Take The Wheel, by Carrie Underwood then you will LOVE this parody! Hope you enjoy. If you want to see more of his work then head on over HERE to see more!

On...Off...On...Off...On...Off

This is the what my poor little under-the-desk heater endures all day long. The top half of my body never gets cold while I am sitting at my desk working.....um, mostly working. However, my legs and feet freeze. So, I turn on the heater. I will usually start to bake on top before the bottom half really gets cozy so I have to turn off the heater. Some time passes, turn it back on. Bake. Turn it off. Ugh....why can't I just be warm all over??? Probably because my legs sit under the desk and the "metal" from the underside of the desk just radiates cold.

And that made me think about being a christian. Yeah, that's right. A little under-the-desk heater can turn my mind toward the things of God. It doesn't always have to be a burning bush, or a sea parting or manna falling from the sky.

So, why does this make me think about being a christian? Well, one of the biggest problems people have with "christians" is hypocriticalness (is that a word?). Is now. We are warm & fuzzy at church or in a certain environment when around certain folk but then the next time you see us somewhere else, around other folk, we can be cold & stinging. Warm-Fuzzy...Cold-Stinging....Warm-Fuzzy....Cold-Stinging. But Jesus calls us to be in His image ALL the time. We have been given an internal heater, so-to-speak, in the form of the Holy Spirit. I need to be more mindful of Him in me and when I feel myself growing cold, call upon Him to warm me up again.

I ain't pointing no fingers here unless it is only at myself. It is just the thought that popped into my head as I turned my under-the-desk heater on for the umpteenth time today.

xoxoxoxo
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ADSR5 & The Orchard Angels!!!

I think I mentioned a few weeks ago about the Amazing Digital Scrapbooking Race starting on February 7th. I partnered up with a digi-world friend, Trina, for this race. Trina, her husband and daughter, Miss K., live in Canada and we met in the Scrap Orchard forums several months ago. It has been fun getting to know her through the WWW.

We have both completed Challenge #1 and I have it posted on our ADSR5 blog. Check it out by clicking HERE.

I have to work on challenge #2 this evening. I am doing a page on "5 Things I Love About DigiScrapping". I need to get some photos taken; pick out my template & get to scrapping! I have plenty of time to get it done but I know how life can throw curve balls so I prefer to stay on top of things if possible. Hmmmmm, if I coudl only adopt that way of thinking when it comes to cleaning my house. LOL.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great hump-day!

xoxoxoxo
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Thin Places

I think I must read this.....

God speaks in parking lots.

Oh yes indeed-y He does.

How do I know this, you ask?

Because He spoke to me in the church parking lot just yesterday. And, here is the rest of the story...

It was a great weekend. Saturday was spent volunteering for a JOY FM radio station "Key To The City Walk" where $42,000+ was raised for their need. Five hours outside in below freezing temps & a slight breeze that just bit into any exposed skin. Five hours of whooping & howlering over seeing the donations come in & knowing every dollar was one dollar closer to seeing JOY FM's chance to reach a larger listening area for Christ.

Sunday I woke up ready to go worship and hear God's word. Our small group Bible study was on the topic of "The Battle Of The Mind". The gist of it was all about having a "mind set" and how that is both a noun & a verb. As a christian I have the mind set (noun) of Christ dwelling in me through the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, everyday I am faced with choices to make that are either right vs. wrong----Godly vs. worldly. It is in those times I have to call upon that "mind set" and put it into action (verb). It was a very good study.

However, something happened (the "who-what-where-why" is not important) and I became frustrated. Frustrated to the point of just wanting to go home and skip worship. The battle of my mind began. I could just picture on one shoulder an angel of the Lord and on the other a demon from the pits of hell and they were battling for my mind. The battle ended when I walked out the doors and entered my car to go home. Or did it? I continued to struggle with knowing my word of the year is REMAIN. I sat there.

Next, as I sat in my car in the parking lot of the church, I checked my phone and saw a text message from my BFF who was home recovering from pneumonia. The message read "Are you going to 10:55 service"? OUCH!!!!!!!!!! The battle was in full swing again.

RUN.....REMAIN.....RUN.....REMAIN.....RUN.....REMAIN.

I shut off my car, grabbed my purse and walked back in through the same doors I had just walked through moments before. I sat down in the pew I usually sit in and I proceeded to reply to my friend: "yes, i am here". Thinking maybe she decided to try to make it for worship I looked around but didn't see her. Oh well. The music began.....time to worship.

Dr. Hufty's message was amazing, as usual. However, I was expecting something in the message to really jump out at me and make me go "yep, that is why I was supposed to remain". That didn't happen. That's okay.....it's never a BAD thing to be in church hearing God's word. As Dr. Hufty closed in prayer before the time of offering he said "God has spoken today....through worship.....through His word.....He has even spoken in the parking lot I imagine" I nearly fell over when he said that. And I again wondered "so why God? why did you have me remain if I don't feel as though I really gleaned any new, amazing concept of you?" At that moment I felt a still, small voice simply say "you were just supposed to REMAIN".

okay.

Service ended and I left for the second time that morning. This time with an entirely different outlook. I entered my car and immediately called my BFF to tell her what had happened. I knew she had probably been listening to the online live-stream of the sermon since she was home sick. When asked if she heard Dr Hufty's remark about God speaking to us in the parking lot she replied, yes. I proceeded to tell her the whole story I just shared above. This is her reply:

Helen....I was home doing what I believe I was supposed to be doing....recouperating. However, I still felt like something was missing after being away from church for 2 weeks now. While I have been in the word daily.....praying continually, there is something missing and I know it is being at church for corporate worship and serving God. She continued....I was telling God how much I want to be better so I can go back to church where I feel like He can use me.

And in that moment, she realized He had used her....even from her sick-bed, He used her. Her text to me.....a text I thought was because she might be coming to church after all and I didn't want her to sit alone. When in fact she just needed me to carry out a task for her (but I didn't know that because she didn't say that in the text).

There was the other reason I was suppose to REMAIN....so Sheila could see how God can still use her.

Isn't God so cool??? I think so :)

xoxoxoxo

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Good Morning Saturday....

Up early today because me and a friend are volunteering at an event being hosted by Joy FM radio station. It is taking place outdoors and it snowed last night. I am prepared with waterproof boots, thermal undies, gloves, hat & scarf! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Just jumped on to post a few recent layouts. Don't have much time as I need to get in the shower and finish getting ready. Here we go....

REMAIN

I did this one for a challenge/dare over at The Digi Dares. It is another page depicting my 2010 word of the year.

5 W's

This was for a Scrap Orchard challenge where we were challenged to create a layout about the who, what, when, where, why of our scrapbooking addictions. I enjoyed this non-photo layout alot!

Rock Star

My SIL captured a great photo of Caiden wearing his daddy's hat and sunglasses. So, of course, I had to scrap it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Moment

My brother loved this photo of our dad with Trevor sitting on his lap. This layout was also for a Scrap Orchard challenge where we were told to scrap using B&W photo(s). Okay, so not much of a challenge for me, hahahaha. I LOVE scrapping with black & white photos as it allows me to use ANY color schemed kit I want without fear of clashing!

That is all for now. It is 7:23.....must get clothes into the dryer and me into the shower. No rest for me today..............atleast not until well into the afternoon!!!

x0x0x0x0x0

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Layouts....

So, I realized I had not posted some of the several layouts I have done recently. Here we go! And btw, all the images are linked to my gallery posts where you can find the credits for which kits I used (just click the image if you want to know).

I Did It!!!

I did the layout above as a challenge to myself. See, I am terrified of using patterned BG paper on my LO's. If you ever browse my gallery you will see I mainly use solids or something with a faint design. I asked for CC on this layout from some of my girlz at Scrap Orchard and one thing that was mentioned was making my buttons/tag smaller. I giggled and told them I must have an "eye-to-brain perception disorder" because I often don't see things as being too large in my layouts until AFTER they come back to me in print, LOL!

Tanti's Shoes

Trevor LOVES to wear big people shoes. He, however, does NOT like to wear his own and will take them off every chance he gets. He is like his Tanti in that respect. I love summer when I can wear flip flops & let my toes, albeit ugly toes, be free!

Sweet Heart Angel

I did this for some challenge....can't remember what. This is my Molly girl from a few years ago. Anyone that knows Molly knows she is not an angel. Although, she does love Angel Soft toilet paper.....it's everywhere in my house....in shreds! Thanks Angel-Girl!

EXTRA-ordinary

Some pics of me a few years ago when I chopped off my hair & donated it to Locks of Love.

God Is There

It is fun sometimes to do a layout that doesn't contain a photograph. Here I used a Word Art from Elegant Word Art by Bethany and a new kit from a new designer at Scrap Orchard. I loved the WA so much I decided to make it the focal point along with some 'from the heart' journaling about it.


That catches me up on posting my recent work. Have a great day & thanks for stopping by!!

xoxoxoxo

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Raised to walk in newness of life

Just feel like sharing what's on my heart this morning at this moment.....when I should be focused on work.

Last night I went to see my personal, earthly miracle-worker, Lisa. She is my hair dresser and she dresses my hair splendidly. I walked in to her basement studio with 3/4" gray roots. I admit it. No sense denying it. I walked out with beautful chocolately undertones & blonde highlights. The best part.......no GRAY showing! Ahhhh, I feel like a new woman again, lol.

Then this morning I received an email from a friend informing me her friend we had prayed for a few weeks ago passed away from brain cancer. She went peacefully in her sleep. That made me think about what it will be like to go home to heaven. HOME. HEAVEN. The little house I have lived in for over 20 years is just that.....a house. It is a temporary dwelling place. But heaven, that is my HOME. It is where I will spend eternity in perfect peace praising Jesus.

In the words of a Casting Crowns song....."what a glorious day" it will be to one day be ushered into a place where there is no more cancer. No more earthquakes. No more murder. No more tears. And yes, no more gray roots to cover up. I will be "raised to walk in newness of life".

Ahhhh, I am seriously homesick. Is that an odd thing to say? No, though, it may seem so to some. It doesn't mean I don't love my life (okay, sometimes it does, lol)....or my family.....my friends. It just means I was given the best gift imaginable in 1996. A gift that starts out with receiving a huge wrapped box. You unwrap it to find another smaller, wrapped box inside. You unwrap it to find yet another smaller, wrapped box. The initial box opened I received my salvation and the Holy Spirit. Each consecutive box holds new and wonderful blessings as I continue to grow in my faith. One day I will reach that final wrapped box that holds the key to heaven.....my eternal HOME.

So, this is what is on my heart today.....at this moment.....when I should be focused on work. Or should I? Where is your focus today?

xoxoxoxoxo

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do you like FREE???

Well, free digi-scrap supplies, that is? If so, you must add this blog to your list of favorites!

DIGITAL DAISY'S HAND PICKED FREEBIES

She is amazing at scouring the WWW for awesome FREE templates, quick pages, kits, alphas! I mean seriously, she posts ALOT! of stuff.

So, check her blog out and grab a few (or many) freebies from talented designers all over the digi-world!!

God bless your day :)

x0x0x0x0

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