Pretty Cards for Beautiful Ladies!

The month of January brings two beautiful ladies birthdays. My sister-in-law Cheryl and my mother-in-law Annabelle. I decided to give them some handmade gift cards packed up for them.

Below are three cards I made using some of the wonderful papers I received in my kit from Jenni Bowlin's Merchantile. I love their soft vitage look.

Here is a gift back and card I created with some of my monthly SEI club kits. It is lots of fun to give a gift back and card that also become part of the gift.

I hope you like some of my latest creations. Have a great week!

Peace and Joy to all! June

Monday Monday...

Today was a really nice day. I had the great fortune to visit with two very dear and loved friends on the phone. I can't describe very well how those conversations truly fed my soul. Since my move to San Antonio in 2007, I have not developed any friendships like I had back in Houston. I did find my life long friend, partner, love of my life, prince charming and husband. There are times though that I dearly miss some very special friends. The Lord has moved our lives forward in different directions, yet when we hear eachothers voice on the other end of the phone it is as if we just had lunch the other day.



I am so thankful for relationships that can stand the tests of time and distance. What an incredible gift!



Thank you Isabel and Marie!



Monday Monday...have you ever really payed attention to the lyrics of the song by the Moma's & The Papa's? The tune is a nice folk tune, but when I read the words they seem to go from a place of hope and opportunities to a place of that is empty and sad. Makes me wonder if this has anything to do with why people often blame Monday's for what ever happens wrong to them?



Thanks to two lovely friends my Monday was good and I hope yours was too!

What-A-Week!

I experienced another trying week, but made it to the end. YaHoo!!!

Here is a little update on my word of the year "focus".

Each week so far I start out with the same goal in mind, focus on the tasks that are in front of me and tackle them currently at the most urgent first pace. I've tried to focus on training my assistant to help with areas that she can manage so that eventually that will take the load off.

I continue to focus on my weight loss program. Although I haven't dived off the deep end, since starting the 3rd 12 week committment period, I've found myself very bored with my limited selections. I've stuck to the program, but I'm really thinking alot about all the things I'd like to have but can't.

With the excess of stress that I've been experiencing, I've worked with my counselor to focus on breathing and ways to recognize the stress physically and then take a step back and work through some steps that will help me to better manage the situation.

Today, I focused on my David. We spent the whole day together on an all day DATE. I like to look at the deals you can get on GROUPON and I snagged some Alamo Draft House movie passes for 2 and $30 for $15 at StoneWerks. We had a delightful lunch and then went to the movies to see True Grit afterwards we did a little shopping at Sam's Club and then home. I really enjoyed the movie. Although I think Jeff Bridges did a good job, it was hard for me to shake his other movie roles. I thought the young girl did an excellent job. Matt Damon was real good too.

We did see again the premiere for that new movie coming from the book by Stephen King - I think it is Cowboys and Aliens. I really want to see that movie. It looks good!!! Of course, it doesn't hurt that Daniel Craig is in it. Cute, Cute!!!

I have had a chance to make some cards that I gave as birthday presents to my Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law last week. I will try to post pictures of them in the next day or so.

Thanks for stopping by to see what is going on with me these days. I'm glad you did. Stop by again real soon. Have a blessed day!

TGIF and New Toys!!!

TGIF!

Over the past two weeks I have found myself feeling inside some very serious amounts of stress. It is a result of some stuff that I won't bore you with here. So why am I even writing about it, well it is because as a part of my stress therapy I am supposed to allow myself to feel my feelings and release them. The other part is to breathe. One day the only way to make the situation better was to literally think "breathe in good" "exhale bad" over and over until my mind was truly interrupted and no longer thinking on the situation causing me to be stressed. I did not like the way I felt and for the first time in a very long while I felt almost like I would never be able to manage this situation. I'm a little better today, but I'm not convinced that I can learn things to help me manage those times in my life. For the past 7 months I've been extremely focused on weight loss. I've achieved results that are beyond my own beliefs when I started. I've come to believe that I have the ability to maintain extreme will power for a long period of time. I realize over the past two weeks the stress has caused me to feel strained and almost begin to disbelieve in my will power abilities. I have not crashed and burned, nothing of the sort. I'm just seeing it real clear now.

I wonder how my unofficial word of the year "focus" fits into this story. It shall be interesting. I hope you'll come back and see how I'm doing from time to time. This weekend is going to consist of some craft time, celebrate a couple family birthdays, work some and relax.

It's hard to believe...

This week...a short work week has felt like the busiest 1st week of a new year that I've ever experienced. I've accomplished a lot yet there is still so much to be done.



I've got all these great plans in mind for keeping track of the work flow and implementing them will be the most difficult part. I guess it shows how much I love my job, because I'm always trying to improve processes and how I react to certain situations. I never seem to run out things to learn.



I mentioned previously that I've been working on weight loss. I'm in the verge of making a huge accomplishment. I'm 1 ounce from having lost 70 lbs. This week I committed to the program for another 12 weeks. That will go until almost the end of March. After giving myself a wee bit of a break over the holidays, I've gone through a little rough patch getting my head wrapped back around the concept, but each day that goes by I get more on track. Yeah for June!





I hear people talk about their Bucket List. Do you have one? A Bucket List is supposed to be a list of everything you'd like to do, achieve or experience before your life is complete. I have to admit I don't really have one. I've been challenged to create one. So I thought I'd get started right here...

June's Bucket List - Draft #1


1.



I think this is why I don't have a list because I'm not sure what to put. There are so many things that I think I'd like to do and achieve, yet when I go to write them down I think that is silly. Are only certain level of importance items supposed to go on a Bucket List or can it be anything from serious to silly? Is it wrong if the first 10 things are just silly before some actually serious items get added to the list? Yes, I have over thought this list. Just like I have a tendency to over think many things in my life.



So, if anyone's out there and happens to read this post. I would love to hear from you. Write a comment and let me know what you think about a Bucket List. And...if you feel so inclined share something that is on your Bucket List.

It's a New Year...2011!

Today is the first day of 2011, it is also the first day of the rest of my life. Ha, isn't every day???

Did you set some goals for the new year? For the last few years I've been setting goals for myself and each year I seem to do better at acheiving those goals. So once again I will set a few goals, but this year it is a shorter list...

1. Be Prayerful...I am a precious child of God and He is there for me always and I need to be mindful that I can always seek HIM!
   
2. Be Loving...to my Husband. My David is the such a loving Husband, always so supportive of me and my efforts in life no matter what they are...I want to return that love and support ten fold.
   
3. Be Healthier...In July of 2010, I began a journey to lose weight and in the last six months I've lost 68.7 lbs. It is not just about losing weight though, it is about being a healtier person - mind, body and soul. I will begin/continue this effort in 2011.

Start Date 7/27/10

Christmas 12/25/10

4. Be Creative...Sew, Scrapbook, Stamp lots more in 2011.

That basically sums it up. I can only imagine what a great and wonderous year 2011 will be. I'm excited to see what God has in store.

God Bless YOU All.