Homegrown Hospitality

All of the Above

WARNING: A LONG ONE...Grab some coffee, tea...or drink of choice.

We all have a specific "purpose" and several years ago, when I not only "heard" that, but took it SERIOUSLY did I "get it" (no, not "my purpose" but the entire scope of what it means)  

I was EXCITED to know WHAT my purpose was, because I never really "knew" what I wanted to "be" when I grew up besides a wife, a mom and a PTA member (hold your comments !!!!).

Insert screeching breaks....

Ummm...It is not like you stand in line, wait your turn and then be handed a slip of paper that tells you what your Purpose is and, "Duh"...it's not really what "we want to be"... (I thought I had to figure it out...)

 

NOPE.

Our individual purpose is "what we were created to be" and up until a handful of years ago, did I REALLY get it...and I had to "grow through" what I had to go through* to understand it all and now I get it. I mean, I got it...

My Purpose, that is...

and here is the thing, everyone else around you may be able to "see" it and "know it" and even tell you what "it", your purpose is, but until you REALLY get it, you don't...

Oh, I hope I have not lost you because here it is:

I am starting to feel, think and see things differently than I really ever have before and with that, I have to say...

It's not about scrapbooking...(duh)

or doodling.. (eek!)

or making things from paper..(drat!)

or baking things from dough and batter..(whatttt????)

or stitching things from felt...(gulp!)

or painting, stamping or really anything thing else....It, MY PURPOSE is about inspiring, influencing, teaching, reminding and loving all of the above and creating a community around it.

Insert falling confetti, letting colorful balloons fly, blowing party horns, clicking heels like a leprechaun, lighting fireworks..

It only took 42.75 years to figure it out..now I have 42.75 years, give or take, to work it. 

 

Thank YOU for being part of my PURPOSE!

amen.

Practice:Process

It is Saturday, January 21..5:15am...it is raining, it is quiet...everyone is asleep (even coco) and I am working, thinking, listening, doodling, reading, absorbing and something just clicked...a big click....I want to shout..LOUD...but I can't...because it is 5:15 and it would mess up my quiet and for sure wake up the dog, and then he would whine for a bone, and then it would just go a tad downhill from there...so for now... lucky you..you get my silent shout!

Fastfoward...7:30 am

Dog is awake...so is the Valentine..still raining, coffee pot empty...still raining...thoughts down...dreams spoken...doodle doodled and just so you know....I am getting it..seeing more of the big picture

and along with that...YOU are a HUGE part of my process...

So thank you! 

Breaking News

for my CREATIVE followers...I have been withholding something creatively exciting news for a week or so...eeeekkkk! and before I go on....NO...this is NOT about me.

So, let's see..WHO do you think of when you see silly little birds like this:

 
or sassy little friends like these:

 

or adorable little towns like these:

 
figured out who I am talking about yet?

I have a very CLEVER friend that I met several years back as I was taking some big creative steps.  SHE and I clicked instantly. 

It was one of "those times" where you just know.  I can remember as clear as day, sitting on the carpet, up against a wall in a hotel banquet room in San Antonio TX...listening to her, watching how she teaches and absorbing how she shares. SHE was animated...a bit CRAZY...super silly...OVERFLOWING with creative goodness and FULL of emotion (she still is all of these...)

SHE shares her loves, her losses..her emotion...her creativity and how to laugh at the knocks in life...the things you are probably going to laugh at later....maybe that is why we get along so well and why I can call her my friend and why I am harboring her creative comeback information...she was there for me when I was making big creative steps...and now I am right here for her as she .......

whoops...did you read that?

That is all I am going to say right now...just remember you heard it here first...HgK.

Let me make a suggestion...so that you are in the "know"

Go to her blog...sign up for the newsletter (upper right)...friend her on Facebook (paper airplane on left..stinkin cute!) and stay tuned here and on your local channels for breaking news.......

eek!

True Scrap 2011 Recap

 
Pete and I had a great weekend....

True Scrap was an inspirational success and regardless of my "Homegrown Video" I left with a smile, some good ol' Ali Edwards "I am going to start scrapbooking" feelings, a reminder of love and happiness for what I get to do for a living and a very proud feeling for one of my best creative friend's Lain.

Well done friend...now rest for a day! 

Now, YOU can still purchase the class..and the videos, blah blah blah and watch it all at home, in your jammies...rain or shine.  Just click on the TRUE SCRAP ad over on the right.....

Of course, just like anything else on the internet, it had its glitches...but all was well and I am hoping to be invited back for True Scrap 2012 (hint hint). I mentioned during the live chat that we should take it on the road in a big bus...

hey, who knows..let a girl dream.

Lain and I have had our share of fun times...on land and at sea...so who knows, maybe True Scrap will hit the high seas...board a ship..film a reality show for Brave...wouldn't that be fun! Just thinking out-loud...and remembering good times!

Happy Sunday!!!

Project Life 2011

Way way back, when I used to scrapbook, I use to scrapbook! I found some photos on the ol' computer from the very beginning days of 2007 to remind myself:

 
Some of my favorite projects, cards and layouts came from inspiration I got from my pals over at Creating Keepsakes so when I saw the outcome of Project Life 2010, I knew that 2011 was going to be the year I scrapbook, for myself (well, and for you!) so I ordered my very own Project Life - Turquoise Edition   

I was not expecting the delivery until after the new year, so I spent a hour or so organizing a few hundred of last years photos into a regular ol' photo album and must admit that I felt pretty accomplished at just doing that (try it, you will like it!)

Surprisingly, the door bell rang yesterday and what did you know...my Project Life - Turquoise Edition  was sitting there at the door, so as it poured rain (again!), I spread out a blanket on the floor, turned on General Hospital (to see the Balkan getting closer and closer to everyone without anyone knowing, although Jason feels that "something just is not right") opened up the BIG box and started to organize the super organized kit (it is by Becky, duh!..she is the most organized person in America...possibly the world!)

It comes with ONE big sheet of very easy and basic suggestions, NOT INSTRUCTIONS, which I believe is perfect (especially because I did not want to miss Carly pleading with Sonny not to marry Brenda) 
Anyways, the first thing I did was load all of the page protectors and monthly tabs into place.  This part was so exciting to me because I felt like I was starting to scrapbook! I am dork, so remember it is the little things! (some of you know exactly what I am talking about!)

 
I will be honest, as I loaded in the pages, they seemed a little "taught", but as I continued, and the pages were turned and turned, they loosened up to "just right" (I suppose this is so there are no page protectors hanging out or down)

 
I ordered theProject Life - Turquoise Edition  (in case you did not read the first huge photo above) and I love the colors! 

You get four of these "playing card" sized boxes STUFFED full of journaling cards...(oh, and a date stamper, just like the one the librarian in elementary school used to have!)

the primary colors of the kit I purchased are red, turquoise (duh!) green, brown, and a little black and white and the cards are all in sets BUT mixed within the four boxes...so, because I prefer to do things by color, I took out all of the cards (as all of GH's main characters children loaded a bus to go on a snow weekend..hmmm..I wonder what is going to happen??) and separated them into colors (just about the time that Dante ran into Brenda and "convinced" her not to tell Sonny about the baby)

 
Once I got the cards all in my own order, I loaded the first and last pages of the book "as suggested" 

 
and then I decided to load the first page of each month in (because the bus ride up the icy mountain road with all of the kids, Dante's mom and the Shrek song singing Dr. scene was taking forever!)

all and all, Project Life - Turquoise Edition  is very cool and I give it two thumbs up! I am seriously thinking about purchasing another Turquoise Binder and extra page protectors Ring Photo Sleeve Protectors 12-Inch-by-12-Inch, 10-Pack, Multi Pack to create TWO books...I said, "thinking".

SPOILER ALERT: The bus crashed(duh!) as Morgan was talking to Carly on the cell phone and it ended with the Shrek "Hallelujah" song quietly playing as the camera panned over the crash site with everybody strewn everywhere!!!