Homegrown Hospitality

Unexpected Happiness

Right before New Years, we hooked the ol' Mallard up and went camping for a few FREEZING days.  I am a warm/summer camper so this was a new adventure for me and was excited (& also confused) on what we would do without the amenities of summer, like a pool, lake or river, but I packed up my markers, papers and blankets and we hit the road.

Just as we pulled up to our site, it started to pour but because we are campers, we were not shaken..infact, just as we finished running around setting up camp, we received a welcome gift:Us "adults" (that my sister and I) found it very easy to just sit in chairs (under EZups because it was raining)  and ask for campfires (after they thought they could move the fire ring closer to us)
Nope, it did not budge, but an "A" for effort Anyways...When it wasn't raining, we took hikes through the dry riverbed and Auntie Steph (that would be me) was probably the COOLEST AUNTIE EVER by breaking the law and passing over the signs that read CLOSEDSuch outlaws Trailblazers....look at how happy they are...sorry Jen!

Anyways..as mentioned in a previous post, we "looked" for heart rocks, which meant you did not really look for them, you just let them pop out at you and we all agreed how much more special it was when you come across something unexpected...and the fact that you don't always have to take what you find.  Sometimes it is just as special to leave it for the next person so that they can experience unexpected happiness.

Then I got an idea..

On our next hike, in between campfires and rain, before we left, I grabbed a handful of Sharpies and put them in my pocket and we headed out.After we "trail blazers" crawled into a drainage pipe to get a photo
I handed each one of them a Sharpie.  

Without any real "instructions" (and the simple explanation that this was not graffiti because we were writing one small word) I reminded them of our last conversation about how little things we see and find along the way can make us happy and I told them to think of "happy words"

That is all I said....and for the next 30 minutes or so (because it started to rain again) I felt an unexpected abundance of happiness because they just knew what to do...

and because we all felt very happy (because doing happy things makes you feel happy) I placed my camera on a piece of wood, set the timer and got a happy shot of Unexpected Happiness and then ran back to camp because it really started to rain!

Today, do something that will allow others to feel unexpected happiness.

Antibiotics + Pain Relievers =

Doodles.

Once I was able to finally get the right medicines, inhalers & pain relievers, I was able to get some rest, but for those in-between times when I wasn't sleeping, say between midnight-2am, 11pm and 1pm and sometimes at 6pm, I would feel good and then I would doodle.

I have been on the couch for almost three weeks and next to me I had my journal, a pencil, a pen and an eraser so that if I felt like sitting up, I would and I'd doodle. sometimes I would just pencil in something and close up the book.  Sometimes I would add a little ink over the pencil lines and sometimes I would not open the book at all.

After getting the right doses of the right things and felt like I wanted to lift my head from the pillow, I'd grab the pen and color away... and I kept going till I hit a bump in my road and then I'd lay down.

Now, I took all of these photos this morning BEFORE I started taking my first of 6 days of Steroids :and now I am back on the couch because after I took the steroids, I put ear plugs in my ears and started doodling again, and whoops...my world turned to the left, and then to the right and whelp, I am on a merry-go-round of dizzy, so I am going to close it up and sit down.

and note to self: if I grow a mustache and big muscles, you'll know why.

Checking In

I wish I could tell you that I have been off on a dreamy Hawaiian vacation, floating down the river on a raft or on a creative retreat, but I am not..I have on the couch, sick as a dog (whatever that really means).

Last week, I had a few days where I "thought" I felt a little better and then the husband got it and then when he started to feel better, I got it again..just a little worse than the first time...ugggh

and then Ben got it.

Because I am up and actually typing on a computer, I think I am on the mend...Hoping to return after the weekend with something more fun to share besides germs!

Click here for Upcoming Classes On the Road and Online!

Pintested Project No. 1

In my quest to Re-Purpose in 2013, I will be trying testing out some of the things I "pin" on Pinterest by using the things I have here at home.

First up is a salt dough recipe that I thought I pinned but it figures, the first project I make, I didn't actually pin.  I just clicked over to Pinterest to find the pin I thought I pinned and DUH, there are probably 1.2 million different pins of this recipe, so let's just go for it.  This is what I tried, what worked for me, and what didn't.  The first 8 photos are marked with numbers.

Preheat Oven to 250 degrees.

Photo 1. Tools: bowl, measuring cup, rubber stamps, Exacto knife, Pampered Chef zigzag cutter thing, meat thermometer, waxed paper, rolling pin, cookie sheet.

Photo 2. Ingredients:

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Salt

1/2 Warm Water

Photo 3. Spread out the waxed paper on a smooth surface and sprinkle with flour.

Photo 4. Mix dough together with spoon and then with hands, form a ball and place on waxed paper. Wash and DRY hands.

Photo 5. Roll out dough

Photo 6. Try cutting with Pampered chef zig zag thing and try using rubber stamps to emboss images and words into dough. Keyword: Try.

Photo 7. Try lifting cut and stamped dough off of waxed paper. Keyword: Fail.

Photo 8. Scrape off dough, replace waxed paper, re-flour waxed paper, form a new ball, roll out dough and start again.

Now we move to a closer step by step look at what I did and how I did it.

I decided I just wanted to make a heart.  I do have a heart cookie cutter which would have been 10,000 times easier and quicker, but I wanted "my" shape of heart, so I tried cutting it with an Exacto knife.

IT DOESNT WORK

so I grabbed the Pizza Cutter.  Cuts like a DREAM, but only in straight lines.

Start by cutting one diagnoal line to the right:

Then another diagonal line to the left (creating the bottom point of the heart) Now form the top of the heart by cutting and manuvering the pizza cutter in several short turns until you get something that "resembles" a heart. (kinda like a 5-point turn: go forward, stop, backup a little, stop, go forward and turn a little, stop...) Pull away excess dough and tadah, you have a sorta heart that now needs to be GENTLY shaped. (see a cookie cutter would have been easier)

I found that if I held the heart in my leaft hand and used the inside of my right pointer finger (curved to look like the top part of the heart) I could shape it nicely.  Did you understand that? Curve your right pointer finger to form a Caption Hook, hook.  See..that is the right top side of a heart...oh, nevermind, I think you'll get it. Now take the meat thermometer and take the temperature of the dough.

Just kidding, I wanted to see if you were still reading.  Really, place the heart on your baking surface (aka cookie sheet) and pierce a hole (or two) in the dough heart.  Now this is optional, but if you have unpainted metal eyelets, place one in each hole.  Use a toothpick to clear out any dough that is on the inside of the eyelet. (p.s. I mentioned using unpainted eyelets because I am not sure what the paint would do in the oven) Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.  NOTE: I should have baked them longer.  Maybe another 20 because mine is a teenie tiny soft in the middle, probably because it is a little thicker.

Dry Completly and then embellish.

Here is what I did:

Spray with Dylusions Postbox Red and dry with heat tool.

Using twine, thread through eyelets and around the top of a canning jar and smile.
This concludes the Pintested Project No. 1

More Doodles in 2013?

Thank you for your warm response to 52 Pickup! I am excited about this being a progressive class and with all of the new product releases, I am just excited to share more things with you and the year moves on.

Many of you have asked about doodles because I mentioned a new workshop for 2013 a few months back. Doodle 13 is still in progress, still planned to be released and hopefully even taught in-store, but I wanted to do one thing at a time (hahahahaha!) so now that 52 is released, I will switch gears supplies and get to doodlin...

stay tuned...

52 Card Pickup

52 weeks of of laundry, of distress, of celebrating, of wondering, of indecision, of wanting to do more, of not knowing what to do, of resting, of promoting, of carpool, of homework, of planning, of preparing, of praying, of making decisions, of choosing, or cheering on and cheering up, of weeping and mourning, of praising and worship...  
That is why I created 52 Card Pickup.
As women, daughters, sisters, neighbors, friends, moms,  at one point or another, we seem to have so much going on that we forget to stop, even a second..unless we drop and by that point, things might be unwinding, unraveling and unruly..  
That is why I created 52 Card Pickup.
When I need to quick "pick-me-up" quote or verse  to remind myself, or to remind another..
That is why I created 52 Card Pickup.
When I want to take a little time to create something but I don't have alot of time..
That is why I created 52 Card Pickup.
52 hand-created cards of encouragement to reflect on, to look at, to share, to use as support and as reminders for ourselves and for others..
That is why I created 52 Card Pickup.

Whether you create one card a month, one card a week or all year long, the important thing is that you stop and take time to create C.A.R.D.S:

Create something based on what is on your mind, in your heart and in your prayers.

Add quotes or verses that apply to your thoughts and prayers.

Reflect and remember WHY you are creating & WHAT you are creating.

Decide to make "that choice" "a change" or say a prayer for what your card represents.

Share it with others...and then keep on going.  

 

Why?

It is our job to be faithful, trustful, creative influencers, not only for God, our families, our friends and neighbors, but for ourselves.  
We cannot forget about ourselves and we cannot forget to take a little time to do what we love.

Supplies

You can use what I am using or you can use similar products that you most likely already have at home!  Here are some of the basics that I am using.  

• A deck of cards (52)
• Adhesive
• Brush
• Black Archival Ink
• Chipboard, Grungeboard Alphabets/Numbers
• Distress Markers by Tim Holtz
• Old Book Paper
• Paint - Acrylic, Crackle, Craft, etc.
• Paper Tags, tickets
• Patterned Papers
• Metal embellishments
• Rubons
• Tissue Paper/Tissue Tape
• Various background stamps

Class Info Timeline

This classroom in now ready for you and will stay up forever, so you need not worry about anything.  It is there when you want or need to stop and create.  There is however, a timeline as to when I will post new things:

Cards 1-12: Jan 2013-March 2013   

Cards 13-24: April 2013 - June 2013  

Cards 25-36:July 2013 - Sept. 2013  

Cards 37-52   Oct. 2013 - Dec. 2013 In the classroom you will also find:

• Videos
• "HEart"art sheets  
• Quote & Verse downloads
•  Links to classmate blogs and more!

Online Fee: $35.00...Ready to register? Just click that yellow "Buy Now" button.

But wait...are you in the San Jose, CA area??? 

I am heading to Scrapbook Island on Saturday, March 2nd to teach this and one other workshop! For details and registration, please call Scrapbook Island at 408-978-8900.

Hope to see you on-line and/or in store..p.s. more in-store dates coming soon!

Procrastination Will Get You...

Ya know that flu,

the one they said to get a shot for?

A few weeks back,

I went to get the shot,

and the pharmacy was out of the shot,

so I was supposed to go back and get the shot.

Whelp, I got it.

nope,

no the shot,

the flu,

because I

never went back

to get the damn shot.

I know, it could be worse, so I am going to be quiet now.

Light Bulb Moment...

Read Between the Lines

This is a long one...get comfortable.

In January of 2008, I made a decision, well, sorta like a declaration and said something out-loud..and well, after what I thought I was going do do 2008, I wrote this in October of 2008.

Fast forward several years, to late 2012, as my church, Saddleback started to talk about the twelve new churches in 12 countries. 

Oh boy, I opened my heart, my mind and my mouth and made another declaration, circled a box on a little white card and made a decision to start planning to "do something"...DUH, I should know...it isn't about my plans. I know that and just as I thought I was ready to commit to a "mission" and just as I thought I would start "planning" what I thought was going to do this year, "my plans" were diverted and things are shifting to HIS plans.

It started with a few emails, texts, conversations, prayers and truth cards that traveled to the Philippines with Melody...and from the day she left, it spiralled perfectly "in-control" and things have started to come together, not by my doing, but by HIS doing. I am not going into all of the details just yet because really, I don't have all the details yet.  I am still in the "give it all to God" and saying "yes" stage, praying for wisdom and direction but I will share this with you...Part one.

I am joining efforts with an amazing team of women and diving deep into the world wide epidemic of human trafficking in a way that is going to "gloriously ruin" me, just as Kay Warren wrote in her book, Dangerous Surrender.

Me?

I am just an ordinary girl and what in the world can I possibly do to help or change this human traffic crisis???  It is way out of my comfort zone, will be uncomfortable and likely disturbing and at the same time, I cannot stop thinking about it.

Me?..yes me.

You?..yes you.

We?..yes WE!

WE can do something by reminding rescued women how they matter, what they can do to create a living, that trusting, having faith and being brave is necessary and that they are loved.

Part one for me is helping to raise money for the She's Worth It Campaign that will go towards rescuing, teaching, empowering, educating and loving the girls that need to know that they matter, that they are capable, that they are worth it!

I am asking for 50, 75, 100...of my friends to donate $10.00 and also share the cause....because we are better together, and together, we can change the lives of many.

Thank you for your consideration. 

 

Online fundraising for Stephanie Ackerman fundraising for She's Worth it! at Razoo