Homegrown Hospitality

Advent 2014 Days 1 - 4

I am using my NTD Advent Devotional and my Journaling Bible each day.  I start by reading the daily Advent message and usually highlight and write a little about what jumps out at me. Then I connect the verse that the daily devotion is about and do a little something in my journaling bible. I love how the Advent Devotional speaks not only biblical but how it relates to our everyday lives.  

Personally,I have been preparing for December for several months because I did not want to rush through the last month and dash right through Christmas.  I wanted to be able to smoothly slide into the end of the year instead of racing to the finish line and then straight into a new year out of breath.  

To document Advent AND journal in my bible, I have made it a habit of doing it first thing in the morning which means getting up early. I know, I know, many say "I don't have time" but um...we all have the same amount of time each day.  It is how we use that time that makes a difference.  Personally, I truly believe that when I give God the first part of my day, HE provides the time necessary to get everything done that NEEDS to get done.  It also helps me handle whatever comes my way and not FREAK OUT if I don't get everything done.

Day One is what it is all about and to remind us that HOPE is on the way.  

Day Two challenges us to consider the things God has promised and to apply them to our daily lives. NOTE TO SELF: gotta do it daily, and not just through Advent. Day Three asks what song are you singing in your heart.  The real song that moves you and speaks to you.  I had a hard time thinking about this but one song that really moves me and that I listen to all year long is "Mary Did You Know?"  It is probably one of my favorite songs ever. It is so good. so, so good.  

Man I love that video...gives me chills every time I watch it. Okay, so anyways I wrote out the words to the song on the Day 3 page of my devotional and as I wrote them, I really thought about each word. Day Four talks about how God is never afraid to use the tiny, the scared, the unknown or the weak and I personally feel this is so me.  

Throwing myself under the bus here...I have questioned "Why me?" for a long time.  Why do I get to do art, to teach art, to travel, to share, to get to do what I love for a living?  Why Me?  I have made bad choices, I have sinned, I don't deserve it, it is a job for "other" people.

NOPE.

Why?

Because He loves me, He has forgiven me and He made me for a purpose. (Guess what?? Same goes for you, YAY!)  I have learned this past year to stop asking WHY and have chosen to stay OPEN and continue to move forward with the job HE has for me.  (I am still a fraddy cat, but I don't let the fear make my decisions)

Although the following photo is from day two, I feel like it goes along with day four as well: 

 

If you follow me on IG and FB than you know that I have been giving a little something away each day and today, I am going to give something away here.  See that awesome red coffee cup that reads (CHRIST)MAS ?? That is what I am giving away today! All I ask that you do is share something with someone and and leave a comment on this post. You don't have to comment on what you are going to share or what you have shared, just a comment.

 

anything, really.

One name will be randomly picked and announced on Saturday morning.  

To read more about where that awesome coffee cup came from (and in case you wanna get one for yourself  IF you don't win this one) go check out CHRISTmas180 Project and find out how you can Wear, share, give!

Share

Just share.

It is really easy.

We were taught as littles to share.

So now as bigs, it should just be automatic but sometimes we need a reminder.

or two.

Go out and share.

 

Maybe I am

Forever I have said that I suck as a "stamper." 

I can carve one, I can design one and I can stamp one onto a paper but that is where it stops...

until yesterday.

I realized that the reason I have always told myself (and others) that I suck as a stamper is because I was comparing my stamper skills to others.

whoops.

You know what happens when you compare yourself to anyone or anything and the worst part is that I am the one who always reminds you NOT to compare.

ugh.

Throwing myself under the 6am bus.

I had not realized that I was in fact comparing myself and because I felt like my stamping skills were not up to the stampers of the worlds standards, then heck, I suck at it.

dang it,

But guess what?

It turns out I don't.  I just told myself  I did so many times that consequently I believed myself.

NOTE TO SELF: Don't believe everything you think.

#DUH

So you want to see what changed my mind? (and please do not think that I am bragging.)  I am just excited to share and please note that I am using PINK AND PURPLE. ( I am not sure how to address that situation yet)

I stamped some of my new Unity stamps onto Ranger's Distress Watercolor Papers

I using Black Archival Ink, a water brush and Distress Markers.  

Did you know that you can use Distress Markers as watercolors???

Me, neither!

Important note: IF you are using these markers, you probably should not use anything but watercolor paper but don't mark my words.  I also watercolor in my bible and my Documented Life Journal but use dry watercolor pots (like the kid sets)

Anyways, all I did was color in a little area of my shape and then with my water brush, gently painted the color around. boom.

done.

So I finished that piece, posted to IG & FB and gave it away.  Then I moved onto another image that I had stamped, fell in love with the outcome and realized that I am not a sucky stamper. I only told myself that I was when really,maybe I am not.

The moral of this story isn't so much about stamping, but more about what we tell ourselves over and over and over.  Don't believe everything you think.  More than likely, you are wrong about you.

 

Truth Scrap 2015

I have mentioned several times in the past few months that my faith and creativity have collided in a HUGE way and I am excited to share with you another part of it. 

 

Truth Scrap, the online event hosted by Lain Ehman, just opened and I am super excited to be one of the 7 teachers in an amazing line up. 

What you’ll get:

-Full admission to all 7 LIVE online classes

-Pre-Event PJ Party

-Unlimited access to class recordings to view at your convenience

-More fun than you can shake a stick at AND extra goodies!

…And you’ll get this all for the low price of $149 $79* – if you register NOW! (that’s about $11 per session!)

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.... (in my best infomercial voice)

If you use the promo code "ADVENT"  an additional discount of $20 will be taken off of your registration through 12/24. 

Here is a little more about my class: 

Sometimes, all we need is a little reminder of hope to change our entire outlook. Simple ways to create notes of hope to encourage each other is exactly what Stephanie Ackerman’s class is all about! Using cardstock, paint, paper stitching and encouraging word artwork created by Stephanie exclusively for this class only, you’ll learn to create little cards to keep for ourselves and share with others. You’ll see just how easy – and inspiring – it is to create and offer small messages of faith.

To read all about the Online Event, click here and should you decided to register, don't forget to use the promo code ADVENT for an additional $20 off!

Fah Lah Lah Lah!!!