Yesterday...

It was a fun mail day for Kyler and I. I got a super cute card from Amber Porter. She made the cutest card with her Sweet Celebrations Hanna set. The little dog is from a MFT set. The paper piecing and the bling is SO much fun! I'm so honored she sent me this card! Thank you Amber!

And then Kyler got an RAK yesterday too! I signed us up to be part of an international kiddo swap on Sari's blog. I was paired up with a mom from Finland. We sent her 4 year old daughter a my little pony, ribbon bracelets, and some cute heart tissues. You can see our swap partner HERE. Anyway, Kyler received his package yesterday and it was so cool! They sent him, first off, a super cute card! I think that is a Magnolia image (correct me if I'm wrong) in green because Kyler's favorite color is green. They also sent some candy and a comic book. Kyler has enjoyed reading the comic book by the pictures. I thought the cutest thing was the picture that Julia (4 years old) drew of Kyler. I don't think you can see it in the picture but it is adorable that she did that for him! Thank you so much to Julia and her mom!

Sari is holding another one of these swaps so if you'd like to try it out go to her blog and sign up. I know your kids will enjoy it!

Don't forget my little challenge to you guys yesterday! Read THIS post to find out what the challenge is! :o)

Have a super Saturday!

Elzybells Have Arrived

Arghh, ye matey's! LOL! Not sure what that is all about? Check my post below!

I have seen these cute, cute, cute images just about everywhere around the Internet. I finally decided I needed a couple and this is the result of my first try with Moon Girl. I've linked you up to my SCS gallery so that you can see what I used to make this card. Also, this layout is from SCS's sketch challenge #165. If you are ever in need of a sketch just go to the sketch challenge forum at SCS and you will be all set to go. There is even a post that lists all the previous sketches and the sample card that goes with it. Anyway, I have a person in mind for this card so it will probably be going out in the mail soon!

<----------- Did you see the new addition on the left hand side? It is a link to World Vision's sponsorship information. Please feel free to go and peruse that site and if you feel that you'd like to sponsor a child please let me know first so that I can give you a special code to use. (If it isn't there yet...it will be shortly!) May I challenge you today? While you are out and about do something nice for someone else...pay for the coffee of the person behind you, open the door for someone, carry an elderly person's bags for them, just go out of your way to do something good for someone today. If you report it back here maybe I'll have a drawing for a little Glory from Lorie. You have the whole weekend to do this little act of kindness and really, you can post on here once a day 'til Monday. I'll post the winner on Monday morning! Now GO have fun and make someones day!

Facing Your Giants

Some of you may know that the title of today's blog is a title of a Mac Lucado book as well. Facing Your Giants is the book that my evening Bible study group has taken the last 5 weeks to work through and it's been great! In the last chapter of the book Max talks about why David took five stones into battle against Goliath and how our five fingers can help us when we face down our Goliath (figuratively or literally).

The five stones are: The stone of the past...write today's worries in the sand. Chisel yesterday's victories in stone. The stone of prayer...peace is promised to the on who fixes thoughts and desires on the king. The stone of priority...See your struggle as God's canvas. On it he will paint his multicolored supremacy. The stone of passion...David lobotomized the giant because he emphasized the Lord (put Him first). And finally, The stone of persistence...Never give up. David took five stones. He made five decisions. Do likewise. Past. Prayer. Priority. Passion. And Persistence. Next time your Goliath wakes you up, reach for a stone. Odds are he'll be out of the room before you can load your sling (The proceeding is directly from the book).

So I put rub-ons, ribbon, and a little title on these little jars (the come in a package of 20 at Michaels for $20 but I used a 40% off coupon for it!), wrote the five stone names on some brown tinted "stones" (from the dollar store) and will give them to the participants of the study. I think they are a unique reminder of how to take God into every battle that we have.

I'd like to thank you all for your kind words on my post yesterday. I think Jon had a good day yesterday. He got lots of moolah from out of town family and we got him new golf shoes, a game for his PSP, and a personalized key chain thingie plus a couple of weeks ago he and a couple of friends went to a movie together. I thought about my mom a lot yesterday. One of the things that has always bothered me about loss is how life for other people just goes on (naturally) and it feels as if our loved ones are forgotten. I received a couple of e-mails yesterday from people I hadn't talked to in a long time who definitely miss my mom too and it was really nice to know that I'm not alone in missing her.

I hope you will all make today a wonderful Thursday! The group from Kids in Christ will be going to see the new Veggie Tales movie tonight so I'm really looking forward to that! I'll be talking in pirate all day tomorrow! LOL!

A Celebration of Life!

What an exciting day today is! Today is the day my middle son, Jon, turns 16. I remember the day he was born and offered to let him stay up all night last night to experience how tired I was but he declined...I don't get it!? I'm amazed at how much he's changed yet he's still my little boy in so many ways. I'm so proud of him and love him with more than I ever thought I had.

Happy 16th birthday, Jon!

Jon at 6 months old....

Jon's golf picture...

Today is also the 10th anniversary of my mom's death. The following will appear in my hometown paper in memory of her life. Please take the time to make sure you love your family with everything you've got as you never know when they won't be here. I love you and miss you everyday mom.

Life IS Good

I went back to my roots while making this card last night...it is all Stampin' Up! products. Woohoo for me! This is a set called She's All That. It will be coming out March 1st in the Occasions Mini catalog and I love it...go figure! I think it has the essence of why I love the Bella's...simple yet fun. I also used new paper coming out in that mini catalog called Summer Picnic. While I think the paper is designed to go with a different set I do believe that the "life is like a bowl full of cherry's" theme of the paper goes with the "life is good" theme. Yes? The colors in this paper are Old Olive, Real Red, and Bashful Blue. I added some ribbon and a couple of brads and waalah...Life is Good!

Did you know that if you have money in your pocket you have more money than something like 90% of the world? We are very blessed here in the US so just remember when you start feeling down that having a roof over your head, food on your table, and clothes on your back is WAY more than what most of the rest of the world has. Want to help out those less fortunate than you? Go see what World Vision has to say HERE. You can, quite literally, change a child's life including their life span by donating to World Vision. Child Sponsorship is one of the best things I have ever done. Please let me know if you have any questions about it at all!

Just want you to know that tomorrow there will be no card/artwork for you. Tomorrow is Jon 16th birthday so I will post a little about him. It is also the 10th anniversary of the day my mom went to be with Jesus so I will be posting the memorial that I'm putting in my hometown paper tomorrow.

I wish for you today to take some time to see all the blessings that you have in your life!

Is it time to grill yet?

I've been having so much fun with my Bella's recently! It was time to make my boss/pastor a birthday card yesterday so I decided another Bella...well not Bella but her Fella. Thinking that Beerfella might not be the most appropriate I went with Grillafella. The layout is from Bella sketch challenge #07 and worked perfectly with this particular stamp.

I used some paper I got from my LSS that is brown/celery in color and went with that color scheme. I did use Old Olive underneath for the final layer on the image though as to not make it blend in so much with the card stock strip on the right. The sentiment is from PTI.

Remember...the free shipping and new releases end today at stampingbella.com so go check it out today! There are links to the info you need to know in the post below this one!

I have faith that you will all go out and make today a wonderful Monday!

Good Luck!

The last time that Emily (the queen Bella) had a new Bella release she released this cute Bella named Goodluckabella. At first I was thinking...I'm not Irish why do I need to buy a stamp for St. Patrick's Day for? I had totally talked myself out of owning this stamp but then I looked at it, saw the accompanying sentiment (Good Luck with a cute 4-leaf clover) and knew I could use it for more than just St. Patty's day....that sold it for me! This is the first I've gotten to use her but I think she is just adorable and so easy to color! I decided to show you both of the cards I made because it is amazing to me how you take an image that is colored the same way and place it on two different layouts how different they can look.

The bottom card is for made with the Bella Sketch Challenge for this week on SCS. While in my LSS to find some St Patty's paper the owner told me that if I brought in some samples using her paper that she would trade me for some new paper. I thought...heck ya...I can make two cards at a time instead of one when I use her paper! She has some cute Daisy D's paper in her shop, too!

Did you know that there are new releases on stampingbella.com this weekend? Oh, yes! Did you know that you can get free shipping with a $35 order this weekend...oh, yes you can! HERE is the link to the free shipping code you need during check out. The page with the new stuff is HERE. I would suggest that you wait to checkout until Monday though as Em has said there will be new releases all weekend to include Monday. There! Have I enabled you enough? LOL!

Go out and make today a super day today!