Destination - SFTIO Reveal #5 - Discovery

Hello, it's Amy coming at you (of course it's me, this is my blog!!!) Today I have my very last reveal from the August kit - Discovery from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out! This LO just happens to be my absolute favorite one from the August kit. Although it is the simplest one I created, it represents something that I am forever working on and struggle with in daily life - discovering myself through God. This piece of paper just spoke to me as soon as I pulled it out of the kit. It's just so beautiful! I used it to represent letting God be my compass through life. My picture is in the center to always remind me that no matter which way I go, that if I just let myself be true in my relationship with God then I will forever be going in the right direction.

Journaling:

Over the years I have lost sight of who you are and what you mean to me. I have set you aside and lived for me. I am slowly finding myself and building our relationship again. This time I am discovering myself through you. You make me better.

The embellishments on this LO are very scarce, but I wanted to show the pen work I did to make the compass pop a little more. I used a black & white pen and outlined the compass...never a straight line though..this is to represent that I am still shaky in my relationship with God. I can't be certain that those lines will ever be straight though. Just one more thing to work on!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

You Learn - SFTIO Reveal #4 - Discovery

Hello beautiful Bloggers! I am coming at you today in a very happy state of mind! One of my most amazing friends is currently (as I type this) in in labor! Hopefully soon we will have a beautiful little girl joining us in this world of ours!! Her son is currently staying with us Ox's, and it's so precious to see the excitement in his face knowing that soon he will have a baby sister! I love babies & Kiddos, they truly do light up our lives in ways that we never thought imaginable. Please keep the Lloyd family in your thoughts and prayers today as they welcome an addition to their already cute little family :)

Also today I have my 4th reveal from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out - August kit - Discovery. For this LO I focused on learning about life and love. When I was 15 years old I read a poem by Veronica A. Schoffstall called You Learn. This poem resonated with me in such a deep way and has stuck with me over the years. Every time I need a few words of encouragement I reach in my wallet and grab my old, worn, much read copy of it and read it yet again. Every single time I read this poem it seems like the first time. It has taught me a lot over the years. Helped me through rough times with friends, family, and even my own husband. Life is a learning experience, one that should be cherished.

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up
and your eyes ahead with the grace of woman,
not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

First Sketch Reveal for Sketchabilities & Cardabilities

I am so very over the moon excited! Today my very first Sketches went live for Sketchabilities and Cardabilities!! It is amazing to see so many fabulous scrappers working with my sketches. I, myself, LOVE working with sketches and love interpreting them into my own style. It's truly TRULY awesome to see SO many different takes on a sketch! If you have the time I would like to invite you over to join us. This Sept Sketchabilities is celebrating their 1 year anniversary! There will be guest designers, FABULOUS sponsors, and a Blog hop on Sept 15th!

LO Sketch for Sketchabilities:

Card Sketch for Cardabilities:

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Me Myself & I - SFTIO Reveal #3 - Discovery

DISCOVERY. When I first heard Scrapbooking From the Inside Out's emotion for August I immediately thought of one thing that we all yearn for - Self Discovery. What is self discovery in general? One thing I have come to realize is that finding yourself is a long and never ending journey, and that's a good thing. We are always changing and we need to learn to love who we are no matter what life's circumstances are.

Journaling:

Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. You become self-sufficient and do things for others without expectations of something in return. You are no longer needy and become utterly grateful for all the things people have done for you in the past. Finding yourself is a time of harmony because you develop that philosophy or belief system that will carry you throughout the rest of your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will savor and enjoy both life's pain and pleasures. How do you know you have found yourself? When you are able to help others find themselves. Finding yourself is not easy. If you have never felt connected to who you are, and you want to find whatever makes you you, being yourself will be hard. The first step is always the hardest, but after that hill, you will be smooth sailing to discovering who you are. Be you!

See...isn't that one BEAUTIFUL kit? There are still some in the store if you want to head on over and grab one up!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Self Love - SFTIO - Discovery reveal #2

Hello everyone! Today I have my second reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out August kit - DISCOVERY. For this LO I focused on discovering self love. I think that self love is a very important aspect of life. Without loving yourself then you aren't opened up entirely to allowing others to love you. I have struggled with self love for a really long time, but by opening up my mind and looking at myself through others and seeing what they see, I have learned to love myself in a completely different way.

Journaling:

It took me a long time to love ME. Discovering myself through others helped. Sometimes you have to travel outside your own head to truly discover life and who you are. Take a look at yourself from the outside. Do you like who you see?

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

DISCOVERY - SFTIO Reveal #1

Today I have my first August Reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. This month we are exploring Discovery and how that applies to our past, present, and future. What are things that you have discovered or want to discover? Maybe you have discovered a way to overcome those fears to move on to a better place in life. Maybe you have discovered something about yourself that you never thought possible. Maybe you even discovered the perfect recipe for that German Chocolate cake! Every discovery that we make in life, whether it be good or bad, has a place, has a meaning....and that's what we are exploring this month!

For my first adventure in Discovery I wanted to create a LO about how 'all the little things' add up to create something much bigger, referring to my relationship with the DH.

Journaling:

Growing up I always thought that when I fell in love it would be like all the fairy tales. My love would be picture perfect, without problems, without inhibitions. It would be one huge gesture of perfection wrapped up in two people that couldn’t live without each other, white picket fence and all. To be in love with my very own Prince Charming is every little girls dream come true. As I grew up I have discovered that love is not a fairy tale, it’s not just one huge gesture of overall life completion. Love is a combination of all the little things added together that creates a life with that one person that you can’t imagine living without. Love is having the ability to fall in love with you over and over again, deeper in love each and every time. Love is two people growing together, learning life together, compromising, and always having the ability to say you’re sorry and actually mean it. Love for me is having you know me so well that you mail me Carmex from Afghanistan because you know I always forget to buy it for myself. Love is waking up in the morning to a pizza bagel on the night stand and a text that says “Enjoy babe”. Love is not being able to sleep without you beside me because I miss your cold feet resting on my legs. Love is our children who bring us so much joy, and our undying love we share for them. Love is just being happy sitting on the couch watching a random late night TV show. Love is that one look you give me that just makes me melt. Love is so many things. I could go on forever about the little things that make our love ours. You are love. We are love. I knew at 15 that you were the man for me and 13 years later I still know this. We may not be Prince Charming and his Princess, but we are so much more.

August SFTIO kit - DISCOVERY
This kit is FILLED with amazing product. Featuring Little Yellow Bicycle 'Pack your Bags' and Bo Bunny 'Mama-razzi'.
Yummy embellishments too! Thickers, Flowers, printed ribbon, chipboard, and MUCH more!!
Speaking of Discovering... I have realized quite a few things the past few weeks......

1.)Having your Internet go down really doesn't do wonders for ones nail biting habit. I need a manicure bad.

2.)Blackberry's aren't as cool as one might think, unless I am just that special that I couldn't figure out how to access web sites and get them to load....

3.)My DH leaving his freshly shaved facial hair in the sink is causing me to go crazy. Daily.

4.)Not having Internet made me actually scrap MORE :) I guess there was a silver lining after all.

5.) When did my dog get allergies???

6.)Wanting to cook again is requiring more patience than I expected. Why can't my DH just eat mac-n-cheese? The kids love it :)

7.)Reese's Whipps are REALLY delicious and I should stop buying them.

8.)Twilight movies are getting to be disappointing. I think I should have read the books AFTER seeing all the movies, not before. I am not on team Edward, or Jacob. I am on team 'get me out of this theatre with all these yappy little teeny boppers before I blow a gasket...where are my migraine meds?' Yep, that's my new team. You can join me if you want!

9.) I should really consider cleaning out my car more often. I did so this morning and found something very important hiding under my son's car seat. BUTTONS! Buttons that I had thought were mailed, but apparently not. Also hiding in the dark abyss were 3 half eaten chicken nuggets, my spare house key, 7 hot wheels, a barbie comb, a pair of gloves, and one scooby doo house slipper. Wow, what a kid. The Buttons ARE mailed now, expect them soon. Sorry, as I hold my head in shame :(

10.) Last but definitely not least....I have discovered that my DH thinks I am not nice, and he loves it. He was helping out a buddy today with some car issues, he came home and said "Wow, his wife was nice. I mean overly nice...Too nice. Amy, you would drive me insane if you were that nice." Thanks dear......I think.....

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Reveal #14 - IMPACT

The new challenge is now up at Dirty Scraps and it's all about things that IMPACT your life. You are being asked to create a LO about something that has had an impact on you in some way, shape, or form. Here are the details.

IMPACT!!!
I think of a car wreck when I hear the word IMPACT, but it can mean so many different things. An abusive parent can IMPACT your life in detrimental ways.
A wonderful teacher can IMPACT your life in amazing ways, a loving mother can IMPACT your life forever. You can be scarred or shaped with it. Scrap a page with the word IMPACT in it, make it strong, make it you!

Journaling:

Good or bad, memories affect lives in unimaginable ways. Just remember everything happens for a reason and you will always have those memories to learn from.

I created this LO as a reminder more or less to myself. I didn't add specific journaling with all the details, but it represents the friends I have lost due to death because of decisions they have made. The memories that they leave behind in my heart are wonderful, but the personal decisions they made were horrific.

It's a reminder to myself to be careful, to love life, and to never take a minute for granted. Because honestly, it could be your last.

This Challenge is being sponsored by:

They are sponsoring the winner with a $50 Gift Certificate to their online store! That's one pretty amazing prize and all you have to do is be in it to win it! Create that page about IMPACT and share it with us over on the Dirty Scraps Blog.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways