Homegrown Hospitality

One Little Word..Part Two"

Hello and happy last day of 2008...today's blog post is a continuation of yesterday's post...

Most of the scrapbooking and paper crafting world knows who Ali Edwards is...shoot..even my valentine knows who Ali Edwards is...duh and most of you who have been reading my blog for the past few years knows that I almost had a heart attack the day I had to pick her up from the airport in Utah...for me, it was the same as if someone had asked me to pick up Oprah....hello...but after only a few moments (well, a few days...) I was not only fortunate to have learned some really great things from her..but she & I became fast, funny and creative, sometimes instant coffee drinking friends....

Now we all of know that today is the last day of 2008.  Not only is it time to ring in 2009, but also time to be inspired once again by Ali, to chose a word to focus on for the new year.  Most of you know that Ali does a lot of work to support Autism Speaks and most of you know that I doodle...alot. I love to share my art with all of you in my RAK Album here on my blog and those doodles are still there for you, but today starts a little something different...

in honor of Ali's "One Little Word" and in my pursuit to remind you of the things you already know...today I introduce you to

 "One Little Word...can make a BIG Difference.

Here are a few of my doodles from last year that I continue to reflect on and inspired me to create this special project:

This year, my word is PURPOSE.  I often struggle, just like everyone on what I can do to make a difference.  I have been blessed by GOD to be able to create things and with "Purpose" as my goal...to help, to serve, to create and to remind...I have come up with a little project with Ali's blessing to start off 2009. 

Starting today, you will be able to purchase a custom framed doodle with  "YOUR WORD of the year". 

Option One - You will receive an original 4 x 6 handrawn, doodled and framed "One Little Word" with your choice of a black or white frame and complimented with a verse, favorite quote or scripture of your choice. 

The price for framed art is $20.00 and $5.00 from each purchase will be donated to Autism Speaks.

Option two - You can order your custom doodle without a frame and your word will be sent to you via email in a PDF file.  Your doodle can be used for your own personal blog, site and can be downloaded and saved to your computer to be printed out.   

The price for the PDF is $15.00 with $5.00 of every purchase going to Autism Speaks.

These doodles will serve as a reminder of your word for the year, to help benefit the research of Autism...and keep me busy doodling! If you are interested in ordering a personalized "One Word" Doodle, please send me an email with "One Word Doodle" in the subject line and send it to homegrownhospitality@cox.net .  An email containing all of the ordering information will be sent to you. 

I would LOVE to know what your word of the year is..so please leave me a comment...I will be giving away one framed doodle on my blog and Ali will be giving away one on hers...

I wish you all the happiest of New Years and a blessed 2009. 

 

One Little Word...Part One

Today I am busy working away on a "little something" with her...with plans to make a big difference...

 My word is for 2009 is  

 

have you decided what yours is??? 

See you tomorrow with "One Little Word..can make a BIG Difference!!!

Farewell December..ut oh..it may be a commentary...

It is now the last week of December 2008 .  Quite a year for most everyone I know..and even those that I don't know.  All I seem to hear is that "The Economic forecast" for 2009 seems to be ___________.

We read that 2009 will be ________ and we hear that 2009 will not get any____________, in fact will probably be _____________.

It seems that everyone wants to just throw in the towel..but we just can't. 

YES...things are pretty messed up all over the place.  We all know that and we are all concerned...but ask yourself this question:

Are you worrying about it or praying about it?

Here is a tip...If you are worrying..you are not praying enough. 

NONE of us..not one single person really knows what 2009 will bring, so how can we, or better yet, WHY do we worry about it? All the worry does is produce frustration, fatigue and fear..and those things will get us absolutely nowhere. (let me stop here and share with you that when I was young...until I was about 3Oish....I WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING....AND I MEAN EVERYTHING, so for me to type that sentence above is a true testimony of my faith...whew!)  

We can not let the circumstances get the best of us because we have responsibilities, we have families to raise, we have hopes, wishes,  dreams...we have crafts to make, breads to bake and felt to stitch...and we all have a  purpose. 

Regardless of what 2009 brings us, we will survive. There is just no other option than to move forward and up.

I know, some of you are thinking that I am just be naive, not being "real" & that I must face the facts, and trust me when I say, I am feeling "the facts" and they are all out right in front of me, but I just can not just sit and stare and wonder anymore.  Just sitting and staring will not change anything...and with a new year just a few days away...There will probably (&hopefully) no other more important time in our generation than now for a significant and specific change. It does not have to be a huge change...not even a big change..in fact

Something we need to remember as we set forth into 2009 is that

WE MUST CONTINUE TO HOPE..WE MUST CONTINUE TO RELY ON OUR FAITH, WE MUST DEMONSTRATE OUR STRENGTH AND WE MUST SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.  

If you have not already been doing that, NOW is the time to start.  Not tomorrow, not Tuesday, not after the new year...NOW. Today.

and just a few other things to rememberr as we get ready to take on 2009 together :

  

 

 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from my Family to yours...                     

I am the one in middle, right below my mom, in between Kamryn & John..You just need to squint really hard, or close your eyes to see me. Actually, I am the one taking the photo (duh!) and wish that I was in the picture, but so glad to show you that this is what I see when I see my family (except Uncle James is not in the picture either!)

We all had a very wonderful couple of days celebrating Christmas and Jesus' Birthday...even sang "Happy Birthday Jesus" on Christmas morning, which was an awesome moment..as well as this wonderful shot I got as we were opening presents...

My parents will be over soon for breakfast, so I must go for now...but will be back tomorrow with a play by play recap of our holiday as well as some *new* things to share!

enjoy the day!

 

 

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas Eve! Pretty much my favorite day.  I have always loved Christmas Eve, for all of the feelings that it brings.  Happiness, anticipation, giddyness, togetherness...

I am fortunate in my "situation" that the boys are always with me on Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning.  I cannot imagine how it would be the other way around and I always get a little sad for those who are in a similar situation. Unfortunately, even though time has passed, situations have changed and the boys are older, it is still always hard to "drop them off" and imagine it will always be like that. I have look at the bright side and thank GOD that my boys have their dad in their lives and remind the boys of the same thing if they start to teeter.

moving on..all gifts are finished, wrapped and ready to pack into the car.  I was going to pack up the car last night but thought "What if someone see's me do it and then steals the car????"  I know, maybe a little over the top paranoid, but hey...YOU NEVER KNOW! I always say..better to be safe than sorry!

We are heading to my sisters this morning and will stay there until tomorrow morning.  My parents are early birds like me and are probably on the road from AZ to CA...(drive SLOOOOOW through Blythe DAD!) 

we have very important things to do today...ice skating, church, Mexican food, the Mission Inn and this...                                                                                                                                            for the past couple of years, we do this (we = me and the kids)

Christmas Eve 2007                                   

Christmas Eve 2006

Christmas Eve 2005 (cookies this year)

It is supposed to rain tonight, to the outdoor activities may be canceled, so just in case, we are meeting at the indoor rink this morning.

I hope that whatever you have planned, that you enjoy each & every moment, that you are able to relax, reminisce, remember the reason for the season & be thankful, regardless..  Even though our world is a little topsy-turvy, we MUST find peace in the little things...because those are the things that build our foundations...mixed in with the cement that holds us together..FAITH in GOD.   

If you are local and want to hear an amazing Christmas message, I invite you to Saddleback today. www.christmasatsaddleback.com  If you are not local, then tonight & tomorrow on Fox News they will be airing the entire service...it really is a very good message and everyone should hear it...

and a gift, of course...a really really good gift that we can all give ourselves. Inspired by "Foundation for a better Life" quote:

     

         

Merry Christmas my friends...

Love,

Stephanie

The meaning of "Finished"....

The definition of the word "finished" in the 12lb.Webster's Children Dictionary sitting in my lap reads "to bring or come to an end"

good word..kinda. Sometimes. Like if you are :

• "finished" wrapping gifts (I have three more to wrap)
• "finished"baking..(I am !)
• "finished with the laundry (does it ever stop?)
• Celebrating the finish of a year...Happy New Year

There are lots of examples that I could think of...that are happy, silly, cheerful finishes, but then there are also some "finishes" that are not so cheerful, silly & happy.  I have so many "situations" on my heart..for  friends, family and acquaintances that are going through times where they feel like they are finished...or want to be finished, or don't know how to finish...or don't know if they want to finish...siutations, choices, things that seem out of control...and the human compassion part for those who are hurting & struggling is sometimes overwhelming. But we are supposed to have & show compassion, right?  Just like alot of you, though,  I wish that there was something that I could do to help, besides pray.  Not that I want to "dis" praying, but I wish that I could physically and mentally help those who are struggling...hurting...confused...

I think I "sorta" figured it out last night. Well, kinda.

On Friday night, during a Dateline interview with our pastor, Rick Warren, I wrote down a quote he said.  Then last night, at Church, Pastor Tom referred to the same quote and this morning, I give it to you...as a reminder ...

It reads

"You don't know GOD is all you need until GOD is all you got"

plain and simple.

We all know this..we just forget to remember things like this sometimes...and that is a little sad to admit/remember right now, as we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, duh!

We all need a little LOVE and a LOTTA God..(well, we need a lot of LOVE...but we need even more GOD)

hey..that sounds really good...

Gotta Lotta God....(new doodle in my head)

and if you don't have it, you should try it...it make things much better! so Getta Lotta God.

alright, I need to lighten up a little...last minute things to do today...wrap last three presents and clean the house.  We head to my sisters tomorrow and wont be back till Christmas night and I like to leave the house in tip top shape...so that when we return..all is calm.

Here are a few of the things that I finished up yesterday...

 

 and this stuff...

Now I remember WHY I only make it once a year...because I eat so much of it, it takes me that long to not be sick of it...because it is soooooo good...

Go finish your stuff....meet you back here tomorrow for a holiday cheer!

oh...P.S..the winner of the gingerbread stamp is Heather Wartenberg...and speaking of stamps...check out what I found people creating with my super cute snowman....wow!

p.s...going to doodle Gotta Lotta God....

What are YOU doing right now...4 days till Christmas

 4 days till Christmas, we are in full swing with this, that and the other...there is a little bit of' everything happening at the same time in our house, so I grabbed my camera and took some shots of what we are doing...RIGHT NOW...

Center Photo...ME! and yes, I am still wearing the antlers even as I type... 

First Row top left to right

1. things" that need to be finished..can't reveal what they are going to be though...just stay tuned.
2. John & Ben are in the bedroom wrapping presents
3. teenager..still sleeping..whatever!!!
4. Coco snoozing on the Christmas quilt..ohhh..Grandma Bonnie is NOT going to be happy'bout that!

Second Row (left to right)

1. The Shead-teau calling my name to finish "things"
2. Almost everything is wrapped..need more tape!

Third Row

1. Ben "making" tags for his gifts...yeah Ben!!!

2. Wrapping cans with paper..

Fourth Row

1. 5 of 7 cans semi-wrapped
2. Bags to be filled with goodies for the neighbors
3. we really need to go grocery shopping....

4. cookies that go in the cans that are semi wrapped

so..what are YOU doing RIGHT NOW..just FOUR days before Christmas??

Inquiring minds want to know...

Online in 2009

I have gifts to give, skills to learn, paper to cut, doodles to draw, classes to teach, cookies to bake, felt to sew...patterns to cut...piles to deplete, glitter to glue...things to tell you about and remind you of....and the problem is...I don't have an actual magazine to do that in anymore...

so, as I have been mentioning for MONTHS...I think I am going to do it Online 2009....sooner than later.

Now, I will still be teaching in stores locally and globally but the facts are the facts...                   travel costs $$$...                                                                                                                   classes cost $$$...                                                                                                                       and well, not very many of us have $$$...

Now on the brighter side of things....even though supplies cost $$$                                                we ALL have more than we could ever use....

so I am working and planning on meeting you all...in the middle..by doing things more on-line.  (not "digitally"...just kinda sorta digitally, aka "on-line...)

First, as most of you know and all of you will learn...I am a do-it-yourself kinda "Trailer Park Marta" MacGuyver-ish girl.  I have also stumbled upon a new name for myself...

"Sorta Homemade with Steph-a-knee"...yes...just like Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee". 

I am still just a Simple girl that complicates just about everything, sometimes more difficult than other times.  It is something that I arm wrestle with, pretty much on a daily basis...but in the long run, it almost always works out.

My intentions are good...most of my ideas are pretty cute and my instructions are always very elementary and way too step-by-step.  Some of the projects are intermediate and most are basic.  I am the girl who never wants to scare away a new crafter, so I always keep that in mind when I am putting together a new project. Sometimes I will preview & promote new lines (CHA is right around the corner) but my intention is to promote using what you have...

Yesterday I promised you a little last minute cookie idea, and well, it is also a little preview of what is to come in 2009.....

Download Last minute cookie idea

alrighty...moving on...I still have DOZENS of cookies to make....so I need to keep this short.  Quick review of yesterday...Teachers Lounge party was great...classroom party was fun...and look who came with my the the Happy Birthday Jesus party and held one of the ends of the traditional "Christmas Light Limbo" (he was standing on a chair so he appears to look like he is 42' tall)  He is such a good sport...me on the other hand...holy moses! 52+ wound up kiddos almost sent me over the edge! I think I was just a little over tired, but in the end, watching then sit and listen quietly to the story of Christmas is just so sweet and watching them dance to Christmas Carols, even playing air guitars reminds me of why I do this..week after week 

     

okay..so I mentioned having gifts to give....I did a few new stamps with Purple Onion and Michele sent me a few to giveaway.  Now I know it is too close to Christmas to even use this cute lil guy but, luckily..Christmas comes each year..so you can tuck him away...

I used him on a couple of bag tags for the kids teachers....and I must say that he is pretty silly cute...   

so leave me a comment that you would be interested in finding out more about "On-line 2009" and I will pick a name tonight.  Now, with it being soooo close to Christmas and I only have one stamp to give...I want to give you all a little something that you can download and use right now...

It is this little group of trees that reads Merry Christmas...

    Download Merry Christmas trees

enjoy!

Move over Trailer Park Martha....(Edited)

(**9:08 am..just realized that I never posted this...sorry!)

but look what we had out the window once the sun came up...

I woke up this morning, way before the coffee was pre-set to come on...with ideas on my pillowcase.  I tell you this, I can fall asleep anywhere...even in the middle of a Safari in South Africa, but STAYING asleep....so after a good morning lord, the application of socks, a flick of the coffee switch, two bones for coco...here I am.

Last night I played FoodNetwork in my Kitchen.                                                                         Move over Trailer Park Martha....there is another me...  

I was Steph-a-knee (like Sandra Lee) and I was playing "Sorta Homemade"...and thought, "hey..you would want to know this" (insert thought - I dont know about you other bloggers, but more and more I catch myself thinking "oh, this would be a good blog subject...)

so I grabbed my camera, starting making mental notes and taking step-by-step photos....for my little "Pretend Food Network "Steph-a-knee SortaHomemade"

I started typing all of these cute little tips for you to make the "Sorta Homemade Gingerbread Cookies"...but now, it is three hours later than when I started typing this blog...(I told you I got up early) and I have to go frost 40 cupcakes, pack up the car...and head to the school because today is the

• Teacher Lounge PTA Party
• Ben's Classroom Party
• The Happy Birthday Jesus Party

so I will try to get back to you a little bit later with some really great tips, photos and maybe...a little giveaway...

be back soon.

xo 

Reflections...part two..with a color doodle, too!

First, thank you all for playing along with me & Scrapbook Royalty yesterday (don't forget to go back today...there are MORE prizes each day!).  I did not realize that they "moderated" the comments...but the word was there were LOTS of them...I just went over and peeked to see who won and congrats to "Christyfamily" who answered the question correctly...Yes...I won "Queen of Sweets" for the good ol' chocolate chip cookie recipe..you know the one...3rd Issue..MY favorite cover...ah..takes me back to the good ol days of...last year.

I have gotten past the fact that Homegrown..Home & Hea...Holiday Home...did not "make it" on the newsstand and that it was just not "in the grand plan" and I have happy & exciting memories of the whirlwind adventure I had with Lisa & the CK people, yes, wish that things had gone differently and maybe am still a little bitter....I said "maybe"...but the fact is...Change happens..and with that, I am drawing a "line" and moving forward.  NO more "I wish.".No more bitter...because really, Bitter does not make anything Better...the only way to make a difference..or better yet, make a change...begins with me..and begins now...{p.s..the same goes for YOU!}

No reason to wait until January 1 to make the ever popular "resolution" because, um....I am pretty sure we can ALL say.."been there..done that" and it seems that it does not work so well. 

Today is the day of moving upward & onward..and more importantly..FORWARD.

I have said it before, and will continue to say..."Don't know where I am goin..but am POSITIVE {with my faith beside me, inside me and around me} that I am headed in the right direction!" and that my friends (I sound like McCain) is a very good thing!

and speaking of Good Things...I have two good things for you....the first one has everything to do with today's title...

   Reflections....but not the "action"...the Event...and after a lengthy conversation with the organizer's,Susan & Karen...I am here to confirm that Reflectionsis going to be Fabulous.....and what you don't see on the site...is that I am going be there with a little "somethin-somethin"...{okay, and maybe cookies, too!}...I hope it was okay to tell you that!!!...

and the second thing for you is a doodle that has everything to do with today's post.  I got the inspiration from an article I read in my Joyce Meyer magazine/book....and I left it black & white..so that you can color it yourself~ (I am going to color mine in and I will post it when I am done~!)

Download Time For Change

 

 

 enjoy!