2011...it has begun!

Hey, everyone!!

I am so excited about a BRAND NEW YEAR! Happy New Year to you all! I am looking ahead with eager anticipation, wondering what God has in store for us this year! Surely it is good things and blessings overflowing!

Last year was one of the hardest and best years of my life. A constant roller coaster of emotions and experiences but I wouldn't have missed it for the world because I have come out of the fire and flood a lot stronger! God is faithful!!!

I am sure there will be plenty of trials and valleys in this new year but I am holding my Father's hand so I know it will be okay. It reminds me of how sometimes if my daughter is unsure of a situation, she will hold my hand and look up at me waiting for me to reassure her it is safe or okay. Once she sees me smile and tell her that I won't leave her then her fear and doubt just melt away! Isn't that a lot like our relationship with God? Once He assures us through His Word that He isn't going anywhere and that it is okay, then we can just let our fear and doubt fall away and we can start walking by faith...not by sight!

I pray that no matter what this year will bring that I will stay true to the One who loves me and will never leave me. I want to be faithful to Him because He is ever true and ever faithful and He will never allow anything to happen to me unless it's for my good and for His glory!

Be blessed!!!

Angel Hugs,

The power to change...

Hey, everyone!

At the start of each new year, I am invigorated! I want to wipe the slate clean, start fresh and vow to get organized, shed some pounds, eliminate our debt, and a lot of other things that I put in a notebook and struggle ALL year to accomplish! By the year's end I am exhausted, frustrated and left feeling defeated! However, there is hope for people like me who want to KEEP their New Year's Resolutions!!

This is one lady you MUST get to know! It really doesn't matter if you are a neat freak and have everything in your life in perfect order or if you are like me and struggle with the same mundane tasks day after day! FlyLady is a real person who has been there and she has sage advice, tips and strategies to get your life back on track! I am ready to start again, (yes, I said AGAIN), with the FlyLady system. Many of the lessons I learned have stuck with me but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that I really can do it 15 minutes at a time!
My BFF, Heather, and I are going to start Weight Watchers! This is NOT my first time to join (ahem!) but that is okay because I am sharing it here on my blog, so that is even MORE incentive to stick with it and keep going! My husband's mom got him a gym membership for his birthday/Christmas with a personal trainer and nutrition consult. He has been doing so well and I am really proud of him! It's amazing how it has changed his physical appearance but also his mindset and attitude! Let me tell you that I am LOVING it! He plays in the floor with Javan, he picks Kadesia up and has her laughing and carrying on. So, now that he is getting fit and healthy, I thought it was high time I start taking care of myself, too! The kids need the healthy examples and to be honest Weight Watchers is the only program I have ever had success on. I want to do this for me and my family...and with Heather's help, I know I can do it!
Do you know this guy? He is one funny dude!! LOVE him! I work with a wonderful nurse on OB and she told me what radio station he is on and when to listen to him and I am SOOOO glad she did because even though she warned me about the bad reception, I was still able to hear most of the radio program! There's just something about knowing other people are in the same boat as I am and it's encouraging to hear how they are jumping ship and getting out of the sea of debt we've been drowning in!!! The economy is bad and we know it! Many of us live in an area where unemployment rates have skyrocketed and we're included in that! My husband doesn't even have a call back date!! We're just hoping and praying it's soon but we are determined to make this our best year yet! We've signed up for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and will start our 12 week program tomorrow night. I am very excited that we are going to be doing something about this weight that is pressing us down!!!

If you are struggling with any of these issues, too, I'd like to encourage you to click on those links to check them out. The first step in getting help is to admit you need it and sometimes that isn't easy to do! The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step...isn't that how the quote goes? I want you to have a year full of happiness and prosperity! I want each of you to realize every single one of your goals and resolutions! I hope this helps someone today! What changes are you making this year?

Angel Hugs,

NEW YEAR BOOK!

Hey, everyone!

I am excited to show you my New Year Book! I decided that I wanted to create a new book for all my goals this year, like I did last year HERE and HERE. I wanted to keep it SIMPLE though, because that is my new mantra for this year....simplify, simplify, simplify!!! I don't have my book put together yet because I was so excited to show it to you but I will just run it through my Bind-It-All and it will be ready for me to add my goals! Take a look at the front cover:

I created a little fun design on the red cardstock piece with my two holes punches and white gel pen! The white cardstock stickers have been in my scrapbooking stash for a while now! It feels good to use it up!! I think this is my favorite part of the whole book, take a look inside the cover:

Yes, I know, I write uphill when I don't have lines, but I love this scripture and I wanted to include it in my book! Isn't that so fitting for a book of goals for the New Year? The stamps are from a set called Swirly Gigs (The Angel Company) and I just love them! This is the first time I have used them. I added white accents with my gel pen. Here's the first three tabs (stamping, scrapping and knitting):

Here are the next three tabs (health, financial, quality time):

And here's a look at the last three tabs (culinary, home and spiritual):

There's room on each 5"x8" card to write 12 goals for each tab. I chose the number 12 because there are 12 months in a year and hopefully I can set a goal per month and meet it! Less stress and definitely keeping it simple! I don't want to just create goals and not see them through! The back inside cover is kept plain:

I figured I may want to add a motivational quote or scripture, maybe put a pocket there later, or just leave it be. I'm not sure but there's room to change it if I want! And finally the back cover:
The paper is from the Nana's Kids paper pack. I love the bright colors and fun design. It just seemed the perfect paper for a new year! I used my Corner Chomper on the edges using the ½" side and I love how smooth it cuts through all the layers. After I get the book bound, I will take another picture to show you! I hope I have inspired you to create a book, too! You can use the Crop-A-Dile or a hole punch and thread ribbon through the holes to bind it up if you don't have a Bind-It-All machine. You could also alter a notebook that you have lying around...breathe new life into it and use that for your goals. I love having a fresh start each year, but long after the excitement of making resolutions has passed I want to continue reaching my goals so I believe this book will help me do that! We shall see! Have a great day everyone!

Angel Hugs,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Hey, everyone!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

I haven't gone to bed yet before posting this but I will very soon because I am more than ready! LOL

My brother came over and we played games. Paul fixed steaks for them and hot dogs (my request) for me and the kiddos! We had corn and green beans and then Paul's Aunt Susan had given me a recipe at my bridal shower that I never made before until tonight for Taco Cheese Dip and it was sooooo yummy!

I played Hi Ho Cherry O with Kadesia and Javan. Javan won and then Kadesia and I continued to play and then she won! Ugh! Everyone always beats me at games...except for the new game I bought recently. I forget the name of it but it's a Scrabble card game and I just LOVE it! Here's a picture of the game board...Javan had cherries, Kadesia had blueberries and I had the green apples. You can tell who lost! LOL

See? I still had ALL my apples! I had to keep dumping my bucket!! LOL

I made a really, really, really quick crafty project today! I just thought it might be fun to make a magnet to hang on the refrigerator for papers that I know I will need but don't want them to get lost or thrown away. I had a stray clothes pin that I came across and had an idea! I attached a thin magnet strip to the back.
The front is a strip of Reece designer paper from The Angel Company. The white gel pen is my absolute FAVORITE! Thank you Laurie for the heads up on this! Look how awesome it writes. I am sorry for the blurry photos! It's late, or early, depending on how you look at it! LOL

So that is my first craft project of the NEW YEAR! I have a LOT of really fun things planned to show you but you'll just have to come back and see them!!! Have a wonderful and safe NEW YEAR!

Angel Hugs,

First Card This Year!

Hey, everyone!

Did you have fun ringing in the New Year? I'm a home body...I would rather be at home than anywhere else and when I am surrounded by family and friends...well what could be better? So, for New Year's Eve this year we decided to just play some board games at home and anyone that wanted to could come and hang out but we weren't really doing much. Paul ended up going to bed with a fever and not feeling well long before midnight. So here is a picture of us together. We don't have a lot of photos together because I do not like to get my picture taken at all.Arnold and Hannah came over for a while to play games. It was so much fun. We laughed so much! We were having such a great time that we didn't even realize it was the NEW YEAR until we heard the fireworks outside! LOL Before they left, I took a picture of them with my kids. Kadesia and Javan adore Hannah and Arnold so they were very excited about their visit!
I make a lot of cards and then give them to my brother who then gives them to Hannah. She loves my cards. THANK YOU, HANNAH!!! My brother told me he has run out of cards for Hannah, so we just can't have that. I have been wanting to make this card for a while now. I saw a dress in the kids section with a print on it that reminded me of a stamp set from The Angel Company called Fantasy Flourishes (T-2875) so I decided to try to create a card with that same design idea. I also used the Basic Birds (T-2636) stamp set. I added some of my bargain ribbon, a tag made with my Sizzix machine and some embellishments I had in my stash.

I hope you like this card! The good news is that if you want to make this card, too, but don't have those stamps, you can order them anytime from Jan. 6-26 for HALF PRICE because they are T-coded stamps! How cool is that?

Thanks for stopping by today to see my card. Be sure you check back again soon! Next Tuesday will be the first StampTACular Tuesday Challenge and you won't want to miss it!!

Hugs,
Bridgett