Renewal...

It is a beautiful Fall day... a little chilly, but bright sun & blue skies... what more can you ask for??? Today is WW weigh-in day... I started 7 weeks ago... I am still hanging in there... I did pretty good while on vacation last week. It was when I got home that I had a problem... so I was dreading weigh-in today... also I am blotted & crampy if you get what I mean... and a little no a lot hormonal... I felt like just staying in bed this morning, but I didn't. If it wasn't for my friend who is going too I probably wouldn't have gone. Now, for the bare truth... I was down 1.2 pounds! That is 8 pounds in 7 weeks... not quite like the "biggest loser" but my motto is "slow & steady wins the race".

.

On to more interesting things... I am going to a scrapbooking retreat next Friday (23) thru Sunday. My sis, Renee, who is the SU demo, has attended it for years & it finally worked out for me to go too. I am not a real big scrapbooker, but I try... it should be a great time with Christian ladies & a good friend of ours is doing the devotions for the weekend. So, I said all that to get to this name tag I made... my sis asked me to help her out by coming up with a crafty name tag for the leaders at the retreat. I used my Cricut, along with SU Old Olive, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, and some stickles too! She hasn't seen it yet so don't know if it is what she had in mind... what do you think???

I have this other cool picture I took while we were hiking on vacation... I thought this tree looked like it was trying to hang in there... bare roots & all. I feel like that some days... over-stretched, over-exposed, losing my "grip", but through God's strength I am still hanging in there. Do you ever have those days?

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" II Corinthians 4:16-17

Thanks for stopping... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

God Bless America...

Just a quick post to share a couple projects... I finally took the time to do a little stamping today... yeah!!! So in honor of the up-coming 4th of July weekend I did a little experiment with an old SU stamp, "God Bless America"... I did a little brayering (if that is a word?), some sponging, some embossing... and viola! The colors I used were Baja Breeze, Ruby Red, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust... what do you think... I am so critical of myself when I try something new.

My other little project is a bookmark (ok Captain Obvious!)... my sister, Renee, that is the SU demo got us a bunch of bookmark sleeves to share so I thought I would give it a try. I used some generic dp along with Blush Blossom & Ruby Red. I used the "Flight of the Butterfly" once again... there is stickles on there too, but you can't see it in the pic.

That's it for today... do you all have any plans for the 4th... food, fireworks & fun??? It is cool & rainy here in Michigan, but I know that is going to change.

Be blessed! with a grateFUL HEART, carin

He is with me...

Winding my way through Wednesday... yes, I said winding not whining! It has been a weird day... I have little to no ambition & then that makes me feel a little anxious... I don't let myself just be lazy too often. Today has been a gloomy, rainy day... so I could blame it on the weather. Here is a verse I came across today...

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

This should make me shout for joy... I just need to stomp on the enemy & keep moving forward... Do any of you ever have days like this???

Here is the graduation card I made for Brooke... I used my Cricut to cut out everything but the butterflies... they were punched with MS punch... in the inset you can see the inside of the card... it had a pocket on the left side for a little gift $. Of course, had to add diamond stickles too... so what do you think?

with a grateFUL HEART, carin