More Stuff

I still have been working on some projects and layouts with pictures from our trip to Mexico this past September, and I am really liking the outcome! I had the idea for this mini album when I was actually in Mexico and made sure I jotted it down, so I would not forget it. I really love the concept, and I tried to keep things simple and not too complicated, as I just wanted to focus more on the natural beauty and stories of the pictures themselves. Little embellishments, little detail, little stress...it all came together so nicely and I really love the simplistic nature of the project. Here is a sneek peek of a few of the pages from my mini album. Here is another 12 x 12 layout that I completed for our big scrapbook. I used the picture I had taken of Matt and I on the beach at sunset...definitly one of my favorites. I loved the colors that I used, and of course the making memories paper and embellishment line. I just love all of their products and am truly addicted to buying them. They are so inspiring to use and I think they look so great on pages. I am loving how this album is coming together. Nothing is planned, or in any particular order...it is just being completed as I am feeling ready to, or inspired to I guess. Ultimately it is just our diary of the time we spent in Mexico, and our favorite moments, memories and photographs. It will be so nice to have to look through again and again, whenever we want to relive the time we spent here together. To me, this is what scrapbooking is all about. Capturing the memories, freezing time, and using our albums to bring us back to truly important and memorable times in our lives. I absolutely love it. It purely and simply just makes me one happy girl. Let's all be a little happy today!

Image of Peace

After having such a hairy week at work, I just needed to find some peace. I stumbled across this picture I had taken a couple of years ago in the late fall, and I just love it because to me this symbolizes just that... peace. It is so easy to get caught up in the fast pace, hectic, sometimes annoying and troubling drama that one can find to begin creeping in one's daily life. This week was one of those for me, however I refused to let it get the best of me and tried to cope the best way I could. It's just all about perspective and choices, and choosing to take one path over the other. I have made the choice to be the better person, I have made the choice to not take things so seriously. I have made the choice to choose patience over impatience. I have made the choice to look on the brighter side of things. I think I made the right choice.

Thoughts for Today

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. ~Denis Waitley

December is Officially Here!

It is officially December. Time really does pass by, and reflecting back on the year of 2008...I have had a year of so many wonderful moments, memories, and change. It really has been a year like nothing else! My parents turned 50, my Gido turned 85, I got married...there really has been some incredible moments and I am really blessed to have experienced them all. I am definitly ready to celebrate December, and all of the little and big things that it will bring. I am beginning to get ready for holiday shopping, visiting, baking, eating...just to name a few. It has been challenging to get into the whole Christmas spirit for me this year (not sure why) but I am becoming more optimistic and aware of using my time and energy wisely, versus worrying and procrastinating about nothing. Life is too short to not enjoy the little moments that we are faced with each day. Today is also the first day for my first entry in my December daily album. It is so nice to have a project already made. Just pop in a picture, add some journaling, and a mini-layout is done! Before you know it, the album will be complete! I love the feeling of completing projects and adding them to my collection.

I just had to snap this picture today of my dog before heading off to work. I think she is so pretty, and Matt and I just love her to pieces. She brings so much joy to our life.

The Power of Healing

Today I attended a crystal information session on different crystals and their healing powers. I find it so fascinating how these little pieces of miracle healing surround us everyday, whether we know it, (or believe in it). All I know is that they are definitly something that should not be ignored, as it is amazing to hear all of the different healing stories people have encountered with these rocks and crystals. Above is the collection I have, which I keep at my desk in a cute little bowl Matt and I had been given while we were enjoying our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. Within my collection I have amethyst, which is a powerful and protective stone with a high spiritual vibration, moon stone, which is a stone of new beginnings and calms emotions, the love stone wich is a stone of unconditional love and infinite peace, and solalite, which unites logic with intuition and opens spiritual perception. I find these stones and crystals so inspiring, and I love learning more and more about what and how they interact with our energies as human beings. Thank you to Dina today for hosting such a great information session! It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Had to Share...

Of course, like usual when I check out Ali's blog I come across fabulous quotes and phrases that just sum up things that I truly value and believe and really try to live by. The following is one of those quotes. It literally makes you sit back and think "hmmm..." Melodie Beattie : Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. I just LOVE that!

It's Beginning to feel alot like Christmas!

Usually on Saturday's, I love to just putsy and not really have anything specific to do, or much less anything planned. However, today was one of those days where it was busy from morning until night with things that I needed to get crossed off my "to-do" list, as well as projects I wanted to start, and finish. Then of course, there are always those other things that need to get done that also seem to just fall onto my lap! One of those major "to-do" jobs, was setting up our Christmas tree. I must say initially I wasn't in the mood, however pulling out all of the decorations and hanging them on the tree really started to get me into the whole Christmas spirit just a little more. That has to be one of my favorite things about Christmas. Opening the boxes of ornaments and decorations that have been stored for almost a year, and reminiscing about the years past, and wondering about the things to come. I love finding certain ornaments or decorations I forgot I had, and placing out the ones that I always remember and highly anticipate setting out. The whole decorating process did not even seem to take that long, however I like to keep my decor to simple and clean looking, so as not to become too crowded and overdone with stuff. I am really into the whole "simple" living. One really is enough!

One other project that I was really excited about starting, and which I actually did finish, was my Christmas advent calendar. I thought it turned out super cute, and I love the fact that it is handmade and something that I can set out every Christmas that is completely unique. The whole project did not even take that long!

Every couple of months, I love to display a layout in my home. This is one that I had completed a couple of weeks ago, using the Making Memories "Fa-La-La" collection (LOVE this line). This layout is something very sentimental to me, as it signifies Matthew and my first Christmas together as husband and wife. I love the colors and design I was able to do, and again, this came to me so easy and took no time at all! To end my busy afternoon, I made a homemade pot of Chicken Tortellini soup and cheese biscuits for supper. It was just kind of a soup day, and both turned out great.

Now, that it is almost time for bed...hopefully I can relax a little bit tomorrow! It is Sunday after all!

Quote To Share

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams live the life you've imagined As you simplify your life, The laws of the universe will be simpler." ~Thoreau I love this quote!

Just a random thought...

I came across this photo earlier today, and it just brought me back to a really blissful time. A time of friendship and fun, love and laughter, comfort and memories. Thank god for photos.

Something Special

This past weekend was a great one. Matt and I went into Edmonton to begin our Christmas shopping, spend some quality time together and then I took a scrapbook class at the Urban Scrapbook. Above is a picture of the very "eclectic" album that we made in the course. It was taught by Talia and Kim, the infamous goodie box girls, and it was a beautiful project! These girls are so creative and inspiring, and I was able to have a really good visit with them. Thank you so much girls for this beautiful project and great learning opportunity! An additional bonus (and one HUGE surprise) was that Talia picked my name out of the draw for the $100 shopping spree! How exciting! I was totally shocked and extremely grateful. I ended up splurging on a Zutter Bind-it-all machine that I have been eyeing up since last year. I am really excited to begin using it, it has so many endless creative possibilities. Thank you so much Urban Scrapbook! This week, nothing much is new...still working on those thank you cards. I hope to be done soon and have them mailed out. I also got word from my photographer that my disc of pictures and photo album is ready as well, so he will be mailing that out to us too. Another great thing to look forward to!