This month has been filled with many ups and downs, like most months I guess.
Last week we said goodbye to my friend Karen's mother, a feisty woman who upon meeting you, you became family. I created 3 sympathy cards, one for her dad, one for Karen, and one for her daughter. The service was sweet and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

While it was nice to get into my room and create, it was strongly on my heart why and really wanting to convey some beautiful, heartfelt sympathy. Does that make any sense?

I was able to use my cuttlebug and I must say that some embossing folders brings a sense of elegance to a card as I feel that this one does. I wanted simple and I think I did well.
For Karen's daughters card I wanted something that reflected her and her grandma so added yellow to it. On the inside I put a quote,
I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. Leo Buscaglia
Have you ever been around someone that just makes you want to be a better person? That was Grandma Jean.

I was back again in my craft room later last week working on making the table place signs for our church banquet. I think I hit the nail on the head with that one. The signs matched the room wonderfully and I wished I had taken a better picture .
I actually used a cricut cart for this one! I pulled out Fancy Frames cricut cart  and selected the second frame. I sized it on my gypsy but the outside of the frame is an 8x10. I even used the photo stand from the cart that I glued onto the back to get them to stand up straight. I had thought about cutting out the easel from the cart but that seemed a lot of work and I only needed 11 of them. Still, they garnered lots of compliments.
It has felt great to be crafty and I have tried to get my room more cleaned up and organized. My lovely friend Julie gave me a 4x4 expedite bookcase and wouldn't you know it it is 2 inches too short to fit where I need it to go. No worries, I talked Rob into letting me put it in our hallway. I will fill it with pretty boxes to hide some of my craft supplies and hopefully make my room more manageable. My craft room is around 8x11 and literally jammed packed with stuff, so much so that I have a very narrow walkway to get to my chair. So imagine crafting and having some companions. Three of my four dogs lay along the path and if I need to move or get out its like herding cats. No one wants to move up or out, or they want some attention and all converge on me keeping me stuck in my seat. Before anyone asks to see a photo the answer is no. I'm just a little bit too embarrassed to show how bad the room looks. I will say that I have made a mental commitment to myself that I will get the bookcase in the hallway and get that room more organized, especially since I plan on going to Phx in April and visiting the scrapbook convention and IKEA. insert evil laugh.

20 random facts about me

To get back into the swing of things I decided to post 20 random facts about me. These are in no particular order, just as they popped into my head.

1. I love mushrooms, sliced, sauteed, stuffed
2. I like grilled cheese sandwiches, the more gooey the better
3. I love most any kind of chocolate, Dove, Hershey's, Lindt
4. I enjoy a good romance novel, especially with some suspense. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Catherine Coulter, Debbie Macomber
5. I really enjoy traveling and wish I could take my kids more places
6. I like to fish, granted I haven't fished since I was a kid in Michigan but I enjoyed it.
7. I like to roller skate not roller blade. When I was a kid, I used to teach the neighborhood kids how to skate. I love it now when the kids' schools do skate night.
8. I like big purses, I'm tired of black and on the search for bright happy colors that fulfill my needs.
9. I like to make casseroles, serious casserole queen here, thankfully the kids are now willing to try them.
10. I am creatively hesitant. I want to make stuff but hold back because the process is either too long or I'm nervous about trying it.
11. I LOVE flowers, especially the kind the don't grow in the desert.
12. I adore bright girly colored shoes, very hard to find in my size, but for Christmas Rob got me these and I love them

     

     
13. I love office supplies, staplers, paper clips, file folders, thank goodness they are now making them in colors and patterns, even more enticing yumminess
14. At one time I wanted to be an entertainment reporter for entertainment tonight
15. I wished I would have continued playing the viola
16. I enjoy listening to most kinds of music, except gangsta rap and death metal
17. I love to learn and understand new things
18. I'm a romantic
19. I really like football, when I was a kid my parents got me a record player and one of my first records was the Houston Oilers fight song along with Queen's, another one bites the dust. I was 7 or 8.
20. My nicknames as kid were; carrot and care bear

*Carrie*

I'm not sure what has brought about this lack of blogging and to be truthful it is really bothering me. I have even gone about searching on how to make my blog more inticing or topics to talk about when I am having a slow period. I'm also thinking about planning some of my blogging
The last couple of weeks I have been working on a couple of crafty projects. One is the black Harbor Freight spinner. Now my dream scrapbook room has happy bright colors and the black sure doesn't fit in, sooo I purchased bright yellow enamel spray paint and went to town. Over the course of several days and several coats, I finally thought I had enough coverage that the paint wouldn't chip off. Alas, I put my first chip on it yesterday when I was cleaning my scrap room. Such a bummer.

In other crafty pursuits, mom bought me a bunch of yarn the other day because I wanted to start making pom poms so that I can string them up around my room. I've made pom poms before but they were all small and the kids had fun with them. This time its all for me. bewahhhhh. I'm in a slightly crazed, happy mood.
Last Friday I picked up the new issue of Creative Spaces Vol 2 . Pure eye candy sure but for me its so inspirational and I love seeing how creative we women are in our spaces. It sure has kick started my desire to get my room clean enough to start making stuff again. It also has helped me to find solutions to a few of my crafty problems, like where to store punches and 6x6 paper pads, oh and my new washi tape collection.
This past weekend was the CHA, craft and hobby association trade show. I get all excited to see what some of my favorite companies are coming out with and how their designers used the product. Mom has asked if we are going to the scrapbook convention in April, gosh I really hope so. I'm learning how to use some new products but they're not cheap and I would like to stock up on other items that I've always bypassed because I felt they were too expensive to purchase. Now if God would just provide the funds, lol, it will be all good. lol
I'm getting more excited because the newest issue of Where Women Create is due to come out soon. I can't wait to see whom they have featured. I'm also on the lookout for their other new magazine, Where Women Create Business.
Now, I must be off, I have to do my bible study for the day and the day is getting away from me.
*Carrie*

Starting a new year is like making a big wish, there are so many possibilities, so much optimism.
This year hasn't started out fantastic. I threw my back out last Friday and I finished up all my muscle relaxers and when my Dr.'s office was closed I went to our local minute clinic at CVS. After waiting for two hours I was told that they couldn't help me. I can't afford the extra cost of going to the urgent care or ER so I waited till my Dr.'s office was open, only to find out that my Dr is out of office until next Monday. My back is still hurting but as long as I take it easy I can get around.
On to the new year.
This is going to be a great year.
I'm working on writing my retreat course and learning and understanding more about me. I will make more time to be creative, I have to because my spirit is just screaming for my creative time. While being laid up I have spent quite a bit of time pinning on pinterest. I have decided that I would like to do one pinterest project a month. I have also expressed my desire to use my cricut carts more. Mom and I are sitting on about 200 carts right now and I would like to get my moneys worth from them. Maybe I can do one cricut cart a week, granted it would take me a couple of years but I would be doing something creative. I want to learn how to art journal and have been checking things out and learning techniques and finding blogs for inspiration.
This year is going to be a great year.
This fall I will have all my kids in school!! Chelsea will be in kindy and Kelly will be in middle school. Wyatt, he has received some awesome news during winter break. He was tested for the gate (gifted) program shortly after school started and we've received his results. My amazing boy scored a 9 out of 9 and a 99% on his test. He will be taking another test in a couple of weeks and this will figure out what services he will get next year.
This year I want to take better care of me. I want to go for more walks and take more pictures. Like so many others I want to pick a word and focus on it for this year. I will check out Ali's blog for a list of one words to get an idea but I think I will also journal and pray about it.
 I have almost finished up a ten week Breaking Free bible study and then I will pick back up on Finding Water with Julia Cameron.
I'm going to be inspired by the good in the world around me. I want to inspire others.
So this year is big wishes, big dreams but also to be realistic. Oh forget realistic, let's go BIG!












*Carrie*