Lessons Learnt # 2

I seem to be learning a lot of lessons lately....which is probably a good thing.
My most recent lesson learnt is

Just because you feel a certain thing or a certain way does not
mean that it is actually true

Boy, this can be applied to soooo many areas of my life! We all have those days where we just feel ugly and frumpy and blaaah but does that mean that we are actually ugly and frumpy? NO!
Sometimes i feel like i should not go to God in prayer because of things that have happened or that i have done. Is that true? NO - I can always go to God no matter how "bad" or unworthy i may feel.
Other times i feel as i have nothing to offer those around and that my life so far has been so disappointing because i am not in a place in my life that i thought i would be five or ten years ago but does this mean that my life is wasted and that i have nothing to offer those around me? NO, of course not!

Do you see where i am going with this? It simply applies to soooo many areas of my life.

A Phase Perhaps

This must be some sort of phase that i am going through at the moment. Does it happen to every woman or is it just me? I'm not sure but i do know that as strange as i am finding it all - I am really enjoying it. Let me explain...

Over the past four or five days i have been listening non stop to the songs on the right hand side *let me just add in here that it is not something that has just started with these songs - it has been growing inside of me now for a few weeks already* I cant explain why exactly but they are speaking to me. They are touching my spirit and i am beginning to long and feel and wish for things that i haven't thought about in a long while.

Love - that real passionate type of love -, the feeling of being swept off your feet, that connection that binds two souls together. The magical story of love.

It is even getting to a point where i am dreaming about it at night. Last night in particular but i have had one or two other dreams as well. My prince, our love, the excitement of being swept off my feet, that gentle first kiss. Thinking about it gives me butterflies! Should i be making a trip to the Loony Bin?

I have no problem about keeping reality separate from dream land - although by reading this post you may beg to disagree, but that is why i am wondering if it is just a phase. If i will wake up one morning and i wont have that longing in my heart for the gentle meaning full kiss, the butterflies, the excitement of those feelings. I don't know how long it is going to last or why exactly it is cropping up now but i am going to ride it out, enjoy it while it lasts. I just wanted to document this time in my life to look over later.

For all those teen girls inside us ladies who are trying to come out.

*Just wanted to add that i am very happy with OH and this has no reflection on him....incase he happens to read this at some point...lol*

Lessons Learnt # 1

Saturday i learnt a lesson in life. It wasn't a painful lesson but it was a lesson that will help me to grow in this life. My lesson learnt was

TRUST MYSELF NO MATTER WHAT

Once you have made your mind up on something, see it through. Don't let what other people say affect you and your decision. Its that little suggestion or opinion that they give that plants itself in your heart and in your mind as doubt. So, you give in and end up settling for less than you intended only to find out that what you originally wanted was actually quite attainable.


Lesson Learnt!

My Life, Right now

is feeling very crazy! In a matter of a week my schedule has gone from being normal and predictable to feeling very overwhelming and crazy. How did this happen so quickly you ask? By throwing one new thing into the mix - study. Its amazing how it affects everything else that is going on in your life. Here i sit trying to figure out how i am going to fit in a full day at work, studying time, gym time, house work and all that goes along with that on a day to day basis and of course some me time to knit or scrap or sew. Please ladies, if you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

In between my studying and house work this weekend i managed to get this layout done. This is for the Scrapjacked challenge. I was only going to spend an hour on scrapping but as i started this layout i must have gotten bitten by the bug as i just kept having to add stuff and do stuff and before i knew it two hours had passed by and i was heading into the third. I love how this layout has turned out. Not using a photo was a challenge. Using this patterned paper was another challenge. Scrapping about me and my thoughts was another challenge. All in all i had a great time!

Journaling reads:

- 2 years of studying lay ahead of me - Qualification AAT
- You say " Live every moment with Passion and Purpose"
- Cherish this moment - the laughs we share and the conversations we have each night before we both drift off to sleep. I cherish these moments with all my heart.
- Family, work, creating art, visits to Starbucks, Stuart, 5 cats, Borders, reading, money, tiredness.
- Our future is looking great
- Bought our first brand new washing machine.
- I am afraid of never feeling really alive.
- I love knitting
- Strawberries are the best
- Greys Anatomy rocks!
- We are fighting the fleas
- I have found out that i love Carrie Underwood and all things romantic and deep. I love music that speaks to my soul and touches my heart. I love my memories and wouldn't change them for the world.
- Faith
- My wish is to one day have a family of my own - happiness.
- I love my life

This is the progress that i have made on Josephine this weekend while i was sitting watching TV.

I can finally say, with confidence, that i have gotten this pattern figured out and i am getting fast and faster by the row! I just love the pattern that is taking shape.

That is it from me for now. I have a ton of work that is just waiting for me to look at it.

Take care.

The perfect morning

The curtains in our bedroom are not the best for summer time. As soon as the sun begins to rise we totally know about it as our curtains don't seem to be able to keep any of it out. Because of this i have been waking up about 5am every morning this week. Most mornings i lay in bed and try to go back to sleep for that extra hour between when the sun comes up and when my alarm clock goes off but Friday morning i decided that i was just going to get up and start my day a little earlier than normal.

I can not tell you how glad i am that i decided to do this. I went down stairs to make myself a cup of tea and looked out the kitchen window. There on the back fence was little guy and he was playing with the bushes and flowers that were growing up the fences in my neighbours yard.
I stood there for a while just watching him working away in the rain. His mind totally concentrating on the task at hand. I decided i was going to run upstairs *as quietly as possible as Stu was still sound asleep* and grab my camera.
These are the photos i took while sitting at our lounge window, steaming cup of tea next to me while i watched and photographed all the things happening outside.

While i was sitting watching *Jack*, two pigeons landed on the fence going up the yard toward the house and would you believe they started doing their pigeon love dance. It was so cute - i changed the setting on my camera to sport and took photo after photo after photo of these two birds flying and jumping and flapping their wings.
After a little while, these two pigeons quietened down and Jack decided to come back and sit on the fence with them. He was so funny! I dont know what he was saying but he sure seemed talkative as he sat there making the weirdest noises and these two pigeons kept giving him such funny looks.
It is mornings like this that i love. Sitting there with the window open i could smell the fresh air. I could hear the birds all making their own noises. While wathcing all of what was going on, it also gave me time to think. To appreicate all that God has created on this earth for us and it also made me realise how small i am in this huge place. It was good. It was refreshing. It was inspiring.

Something silly to share

I thought i would share something a little silly on this Thursday afternoon....

Have a good one.

And so it starts

This is what arrived at work yesterday morning and this is what i sat reading through last night. My first lot of course work for my degree. OMG, the more i read the more nervous i was getting and the more i began to doubt myself. Eventually, i just had to put it all down and go to bed. Tonight i will set aside and hour and start at the beginning. I have my note pad, i have my pen and i have my highlighters. I am ready for action.
There were some items that were missing from the package but there was a letter included that said that if anything was missing that it would be sent shortly, so i will give them a week or so before i call up.

Yesterday i frogged "Jospehine" yet again and today i will be starting her for the fourth time. Fourth time lucky i hope!

Didn't get any scrapping done last night. I have one mini album to complete and two layouts that are half done. I need to finish those so that i can clear up my desk and start studying.

Peace

I love starting

new projects. The excitement of something new. The tension of the challenge that is laying ahead. The feeling of doing something that is going to make you grow. This is what i love about new projects.

This weekend i decided to start a new knitting project. "Josephine". This is the name of my next knit.

Originally i was going to use the blue yarn that i bought but i decided instead to use this yarn as i think it will look fantastic once it is complete.

Sunday afternoon my mom and dad came round for dinner. After we had eaten my mom sat down to help me with the pattern as it looked really difficult - at least to a newbie knitter like me. I thought i had gotten the hang of it when i somehow managed to drop about eight stitches in the lacy part of the pattern and i just couldn't manage to pick them up again. I had to frog everything that i had done and am now having to start again. Hopefully, this time i will have a better idea of what i am doing and so it wont take me as long - that's the theory anyway.

I also picked up this cute journal from Tesco's on Saturday. I am trying to decide if i should use it as my normal life journal or if i should use it as my inspirational creative journal. At the moment i am leaning more towards the second option but we will see. Thanks Ali for the idea!
I also got some time this weekend to do some scrapping so i will update you on that later in the week.

Peace

Web surfing

Just thought that i would share some of the sites that i have been surfing lately.

Scrapbooking Inspiration

Elis Blaha - Card inspiration

Interesting Blogs

Tongue in Cheek

Fancy Simple

Free Digital Kit

Shabby Princess - Sun Porch

Websites

Martha Stewart - What every woman needs.

Growth Manifesto

Movie Trailers

Knocked Up - With Izzy from Greys

All things quilt related

The Tabby Cat - Great fabric and great prices

African Fabric - Great fabric and Kits

Lycose Shop - More Fabric

That's it from me today. I am hoping to get a lot of scrapping done this weekend and make some progress on my Summer Tunic - as i have frogged it and started it once again. Have a good one!

Early Morning Scrapping

This is what i was doing at 5:30 this morning. Finishing off a circle journal that should have been posted on MONDAY! Oh well, at least it is finished now and i am really happy with how it turned out.

I also just wanted to make a note of this very cool site - Scrapbooking the secret. Definitely going to take a closer look at it when i get a chance.

Things are looking up

There is nothing nicer than the aroma of freshly baking bread in your house! Yesterday i got home from work to find just that in. It was wonderful and five and a half hours later, while climbing into bed, i could still smell the bread!

I seem to finally have some good news to share. After spending so many months waiting and waiting i received my visa extension. It only took eight months to get a twelve month extension...lol. But finally it is here. That means i am now one step closer to being able to apply for my British Passport.

And i can also share that my company has finally agreed to help me pay to study further. I have registered with the school, sent off the cheque for the first two papers and am just waiting for all the study material to arrive. As sad as this is going to sound, i am a nerd! I love studying and learning new things and taking on these challenges so i am very excited to get started.

All in all, things are just starting to feel better for me. Work is going well, I have study prospects, the visa has come through and my brother is moving over to the UK within the next few months (I haven't seen him in about two and half years if not a little longer than that).

I feel like finally i am starting to get myself back. I am finding out who i am again and i like it! My self confidence is growing, my passions are growing, my personality is flowering and i am so happy that all of this is taking place. Even down to simple things like I have really started to do more things for me, for example - i found out that i really like Fergies song - Big Girls don't Cry and that i still love singing along to to FLO. I love cooking but hate spending the time searching for the recipes. I love having my hair short, straight and highlighted and hate shaving. So many things that i finding out and relearning. I am hoping that as i go through this experience i will begin to feel confident to make those decisions that i have been unsure about.

Life is Good!

Thought i would leave you with Fergies song.

Where has the weekend gone?

You spend five days looking forward to the weekend. To having two days where you can get your house in order, where you can have some time to scrapbook and create and where you can spend some even better time with family and friends. And then its gone!! What?? Where did that go? That was my weekend.

Saturday was so nice. I went into town. Did five loads of laundry - how do two people create so much laundry? Worked on my mini-book. Frogged my knitting. Visited my parents. Took some photos and baked some cupcakes.

Sunday afternoon we had a visit from this little guy. Stuart came across him in the garden while he was cutting the lawn. There i was running around after him trying to get a photo while constantly making sure that he was jumping away from me and NOT towards me....lol
While working on my mini-book i took some photos from around the house. This one is one that i particularly like. I bought the vase and flower from Wilkinson's and it just fits fantastically. I might use this spot to photograph my future layouts - we will see.
Today's post is short and sweet but i just want to leave you with this which i found a while back on some bodies blog. Unfortunately i cant remember who's but i will share it anyway.

Ten Thoughts on Whole Living

1. Your home is more than the sum of its walls. Make it a sacred space.

2. Creativity is a lifestyle, not simply an activity. Let is expand you.

3. True forgiveness springs from love, not regret.

4. Learn something new. Emphasize the trying, not the succeeding.

5. Spend some time in the dirt. You'll be amazed at what nature can inspire.

6. You don't have to have a perfect body to feel great in it.

7. Define yourself by who you are, not the roles you play.

8. Find rejuvenation in five minutes of silence.

9. Contribute to abundance. If you no longer need something, pass it on.

10. Find direction in your life by looking where you want to go, not where you don't.

Great reminder of how I want to live!

Inside My heart - Living with Passion and Purpose

Ladies, if you are looking to get yourself a book that you can really sink your teeth into, a book that you will enjoy reading and that will really make you look at yourself and your life around you then this is the book for you. Perhaps it was just one of those times when the very thing that i needed came to me.

There is so much in this book. I tend to take whatever book i am reading at the time and read it during my lunch hour. I try to read at night as well but so often that just doesn't happen. The thing is, is that the time between readings i still find myself thinking about what i read earlier. I guess you could say that this book has really been a thought provoking one for me.

I have just finished reading it and my mom has asked to lend it at the weekend but i know that when i get it back i will read it again. That too is not normally something i do but i really think that this book calls for it - not because i felt this it was confusing or that i missed things but because it gave me so much to think about that i feel it would be a good idea to read it again, and the fact that i really did enjoy her style of writing.

So here are some points that i want to remember before i give the book over to my mom. Hopefully this will help me to carry on thinking about them and they might just help some of you out there too.

* In order to have the life that you want you need to make choices.
* Even choosing not to choose is a choice. *This is a big one for me*
* In order for me to experience happiness, fulfillment and peace i need to know two things: who i am and who i am meant to be.
* I have the power to choose my life rather than just accepting it as it comes along.
* We are defined by the choices that we make. *Very true but very scary*
* Do not apologize for my femine ways. God made me this way on purpose and don't let anybody tell you there is anything wrong with being a woman and doing things as a woman does them.
* Don't let anything control your life unless it's something I want in my life. *I can think of at least two areas that i need to work on with this statement*
* You get what you ask for and if you don't ask, your going to end u settling for less than you want and deserve.
* God expects me to be an advocate for myself! *Had first hand experience with this just yesterday*
* God doesn't give you anything more than what you can handle.
* If a woman truly loves her family she must not and will not neglect herself.
* You can't control other people. You cannot control what they say, what they think or what they do. People have the right to think and say whatever they want to. But you have the right not to take it to heart, and not to react.*Again, another big one for me. I cant say that i am acting on this one yet but i am definitely letting it sit and sink into me*
* Take charge of your health and make it your business to know what your body needs to thrive.
* The choices we make reveals that stuff that we are made of.
* You have to listen to that voice inside you that tells you the truth. Its quiet and steady and certain of its rightness because it comes from a deep part of you, the part of you the simply knows. Each of us has that deep inner wisdom that comes from our life experiences, but we don't always trust it enough to obey it.
* I am the heart of my home.

Well, that is it from me for now - now have a great weekend!

Fun Times

Things have been a little heavy for me lately and i am feeling the need for some light hearted, worry free fun. So today i thought i would share with you some things that are lifting my spirit and keeping me smiling.

Last night when i got home i had received these two magazines in the post. I ordered them about a week ago and they finally arrived. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down to look through them. I am so glad that i bought these - I have heard so many good things and so when i found them here in the UK i grabbed them while i could.
You will definitely be seeing me sporting some new knitted outfits soon.

OK, so i know that the next thing i am going to share with you is well.....weird. Especially for me to be putting on my blog but you know what? Right now this little tube is bringing me much happiness! After my experience at the Warwick Castle with my tooth breaking on some VERY hard crackling, i have been really worried about my teeth. So i decided i needed to do all that i can possibly do to give my teeth the best care that i can. I went straight out and bought some of this toothpaste and also some Calcium tablets as i don't drink enough milk or eat enough yogurts.

Boy do i just LOVE brushing my teeth now. They feel so clean, so smooth and so well looked after. At £3 odd for a tube it is well worth the money.

Today i spent some time blog surfing while i should have actually been working. *Don't shake your heads at me - you know you do this too....lol* and while i was reading Vic's blog i jumped on over to Amy Butler's website. Wow, she is so inspiring and her fabric is just gorgeous! She has so inspired me try some quilting with her fantastic fabric!!

Then last night i did some work on my mini album, see post below. This is the little kit that i have sort of put together for the album. I am pretty happy with it sitting there on my desk but how i am actually going to get it to work within the album is a different story. One step at a time i guess. I also took some time to do the front cover of the album, as well as the spine and the back cover. This was a first for me and although i was very nervous about trying it i thought that if i did happen to mess it up then i could just cover it with paper so no real harm would be done. Anyway, i did it and i love it. You cant see a great picture of it at the moment but i will post a better photo later along with the technique that i tried.
And lastly but definitely not leastly.....tonight is another episode of Greys Anatomy!!!! I have the TV booked, the remote hidden and some ice-cream stashed away for this special occasion.

Well, that is it from me. Make sure you come back tomorrow for a great review of one of the books i have just finished reading. It will definitely give you something to think about.

Take care,

MiniBook Help

Ashamed, so ashamed to say that this is my first attempt at a mini book. I have several sitting in a nice pile waiting to be used and yet somehow i always seem to find a way to put it off. So tonight i have decided that i am no longer going to procrastinate about this. I have a theme, i have my album and now i just need help on how to choose the papers. My album is 6 x 6 and has 8 pages (so for me this is actually 16 pages i have to create on not including the front and back cover). Now my question is do i just jump right in and do each page as they come or should you go ahead and put together some items first - like a little kit. Is it best to keep the album all in the same colour ranges and paper manufactures? I know its each person to their own but please let me know what it is that you do.

Beauty

I just wanted to pop in really quickly to share this layout that i did over the weekend. It was for both the Pencillines challenge as well as the Beauty challenge. So glad that i got the chance to do this.
Journaling reads:
In today’s day and age the idea of what beauty is and how it should be shown is everywhere. There are a hundred different check lists to tick off against before you can even begin to see as if you are beautiful to those around you – family, friends and strangers alike. What color hair you have, what clothes you wear, where you shop, what you drive and how you act are standards that are measured against how beautiful the outside world think you are. This is not true for me. Sure, it may have been true a few years ago or even a few weeks ago but not anymore. Beauty is this man. The strength of his character. The gentleness of his arms. The tears in his eyes when you surprise him in church. The laughter that you hear from him telling his own jokes. These are the things that make him beautiful to me. I love you Dad, thank you for showing me beauty in its most natural form.

That is it from me today. I have a great book review coming up soon as well as an update on the knitting saga. Have a great day everyone.

Refreshing

So last night i got out the bath, dried my hair and climbed into bed. As i lay there i realised that sometime between me getting in the bath and laying here in bed it had started to rain. I got to spend about 10 minutes of pure silence just closing my eyes and listening to rain falling outside. I haven't done that in such a long time. Sitting here at work, almost 17 hours since then and i still get this peaceful feeling, this calmness that i can not really explain. It was so refreshing and it reminded me to thank the Lord for the rain that came down last night.

Apart from the rain last night the weekend was filled with fantastic weather. I managed to get everything washed including all the bedding and i managed to take the pillows and the duvet outside to air. I love summer! I did some house work, i caught up on my knitting, read more of my book - which i now only have about 20 pages left and then i am SO going to do a review on this book - and most importantly some scrapping. I created three things. Two below and the other is being kept for tomorrow.

The first one is just a photo frame that i bought from a car boot sale a few weeks ago and have finally gotten around to altering it. It is simple but i love it!
"Create Memories Everyday"
The second is my layout for the Effer Dares # 67 I had such a fun time putting this together and the more memories i started remembering the more that kept coming. I don't do nearly enough journaling on my layouts but this officially a thing of the past! You can find the journaling below.
"If I had the opportunity to go back in time and choose for myself which era I could grow up in, I would chose the exact same era as what I originally grew up in – the early 1990’s. So often people ask you if I grew up in the 80’s or the 90’s and this is a tough one for me. You see, I grew up in the late 80’s but also the early 90’s. When I think of my childhood memories, of the fashion back then, the popular music, the latest games – I get flash backs of memories which cross over both those era’s. I remember having hundreds of different colored scrunches, multiple banana clips and several Alice Bands. Having your ears pierced twice was also a popular thing as well as those fake, wash on tattoos. While at School we used to listen to Brian Adams, Aqua singing the Barbie song and One, Two, Three, Four by Steps. In the holidays we used to play on the play station. We would spend hours playing Paper Boy, Tetris and Frogger. And when it came to fashion there are always five things that stick out in my mind – 1. Ski pants 2. Ankle length neon colored socks that we would alternate on each foot and then roll them down and 3. The fringe that we would curl and sweep up and across our face holding it firmly in place with hairspray, 4. Doc Martins and 5. Ripped jean shorts. These are just a few of the many happy memories I have about growing up in the 90’S."

Well, that is it from me today but definitely more to come tomorrow.

Rounding up May

This idea was from Alis newsletter and Katies blog This is going to be my first roundup
April 2007:

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I did a lot of reading this month. Magazine wise i have read Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbook Inspirations, Scrapbook Magazine, Joyce Meyers monthly magazine and Simply Knitting. This month i have read two books. 1. You are not what you weigh by Lisa Bevera and 2. Inside my Heart by Robyn McGraw. These are two excellent books, especially the second one.

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
*This month i also seemed to have watched a lot more Movies than what i normally do. We went to the Cinema and watched Next with Nicholas Cage and Pirates of the Caribbean 3, we then rented The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith and also bought Hitch with Will Smith. Fantastic Movies.
*This month also saw the start of Season 3 of Greys Anatomy. 10pm Thursday evenings - This is what gets me through the week sometimes.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
This month Stuart turned 30! What an exciting milestone for him. We went out for dinner with all the family. We also had two fantastic bank holidays this month.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
*I have been worried about Stu's health this month. I have been trying to get him in to see his doctor about his Depression but no luck so far.
*I am also trying to be a lot more healthier. My ears have been giving me trouble again and i am hoping to go and see the doctor just to get a good check up.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
*I got to spend a lot of time this month with my mom and dad. We had them round for a meal several times over the past month - couldn't be happier about this.
*Saturday the 26Th we spent the day at Warwick Castle. The weather held out fantastically for us and we had a great time. We took loads of photos. It is always somewhere that we have wanted to go but never found the time to do it - now we have.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Not much cooking being done this which was very naughty of me but June will be a healthier month

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
*For Stuarts 30Th i bought him a Swiss Army Watch and had it engraved with our Song.
*I also have finally gone and had my hair highlighted and cut. This has been much needed. I have been putting it off for ages now. It did end up costing me £75 but never you mind.
*I bought a new pair of shoes for work and a new pair of trainers. I haven't bought shoes in months.

What were this month's disappointments?
*We had no end of problems with our vehicles this month. My car needed to have an entire new "thing" on the front drivers side of the car (don't ask me what it is but i know it was a big job and took all day to do...lol). Then we also had problems with Stuarts bike. First his cable snapped and then we found a major problem with his back wheel.
*Yet another month has gone by were we have had no sign of my paperwork for my visa. 7 months later and i am no closer to getting this sorted out.
*Stuart has quit his job even though he has no other yet.
*I managed to break my tooth while we were at Warwick Castle.
*Our relationship has hit an all time low at the moment. Not sure where things are going from here - only time will tell.
* I didn't manage to get as much scrapping done as i would have liked to. Things have been very busy which has not left a lot of time for creating.

What were my accomplishments this month?
*I have been really good with going to the gym this month and trying new classes. This has really boosted my confidence.
*I have got permission to study further through my company. Hopefully this will start in June so am really excited that i took the plunge and asked for them to help me pay for it.
*I did manage to do some creating this month which is an accomplishment considering the month i have had.

This is a great way to document what has gone on for this month as so often i find that there are things that i forget. Thanks Ali and Katie for this fantastic idea.

Looking forward to June as i have some exciting things coming my way.