Blessings abound!

I have completed Hat #8!!! YESSSSS!!! :) The smallest things makes me happy! This is a man's textured hat, I seem to love making the textured stitches for male hats. However, as I was finishing this hat up, I realized that I could turn it into a ladies hat very easily by threading a ribbon through it. The wheels in my brain are constantly spinning with different ideas on hats, because I simply LOVE doing this! The picture is a little blurry, so my apologies!

 

I LOVE the color too, and I don't think this picture does justice to the color at all. It is a darker teal blue, the flash just makes it appear lighter blue.

 

I had an awesome visit with a really great friend and her daughter on Tuesday evening. She surprised me with a donation of composition notebooks, and I am just so darn EXCITED!!!  

 

 

 

She donated 2 cases which is just AWESOME!! There are 24 total and I am ecstatic over it, can you tell? :) I could never do this without all of the support and donations from everyone!!! Thank you Mo, you are the greatest, love you! <3 Can hardly wait to go shopping for material and embellishments to cover them in!

 

I also was able to talk to a cousin that I have not seen in 26 years!! I was so darn excited and we had an amazing conversation, the first of MANY! I grew up and went to school with her and a LOT of other cousins back in Florida, and I sure miss them loads! She is an AMAZING and strong woman who is a two time cancer survivor!! :) I am so BLESSED to be able to do what I do and give of myself to others!

 

I did get some feedback from my contact at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the patients love the variety of hats we are able to donate and they really love the Journey Journals, so I KNOW that what we are doing is MAKING A DIFFERENCE!! I am forever grateful for the talent and inspiration that God has given me to start and continue this project! I will never be able to express my deep felt gratitude to all those that help to make this possible!!! Thank you from my heart and soul! Until my next update, may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within.... <3

Rain in AZ means I get more done on my project!

Good afternoon all! It is a beautiful rainy day here in AZ and I am loving it! It isn't so cold that you can't enjoy sitting on the patio and the same would go for the heat! I have really enjoyed sitting on the patio today and watching the hummingbirds dodge the raindrops or the water coming off of the roof to get to the feeder. They normally migrate to Mexico during the winter months, but we have been blessed to have 4 that just continually drain my feeder every couple of days. They are such a joy to watch and we have named all but the female LOL! Harley, Marley and Spot. I just can't seem to settle on a name for the female and she is the only one, the other three are males.

Oh I seemed to have gotten carried away with other subjects! Sorry about that, now I have been busy working on my project also! In fact I completed a Ladies hat this morning, and I simply adore this one!  I have to start searching my patterns for a man's hat. My sister told me that men's hats are simple, but I try not to do anything too simple, I enjoy finding a challenging textured stitch for them. So here is hat #7.

 

 

 

I have also worked and completed a couple of Journey Journals. Here is #2 and #3.

 

They are kind of simplistic right now, and I am not as far ahead on the journals as I would like to be. I have patience and the journals are really quick and easy to make unless I want to get really fancy with them, and that might happen eventually, but right now I have to build up my supplies for the journals! All in good time, as I have stated before the power of prayer, faith and positive thinking works!

 

Now I am off to search my patterns or the internet for a man's hat to make, until my next post may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within....<3

Well ahead of my goal so far!!

I am happy and excited to be ahead of my 5 hat a month goal! I have just completed a boy and girl's football beanie in celebration of the football season and Superbowl coming up.

 

 

I kind of like creating these beanies with a theme in mind, for instance February is coming up...and that means VALENTINE'S Day! :) I could do hearts, and pink and red...oh my, sorry jumping WAY ahead of myself now lol! :) I am a little behind in my journal making, but hopefully I will catch that right up very soon! I have 3 in the wings just awaiting my attention. I do also still have some small projects that have to be completed (hopefully by the end of February), a beanie for my nephew and his lovely wife and a beanie for my cousin's wife and there littlest boy. These have been promised to them for months, and thankfully they are VERY understanding of this project being my priority!

We have been blessed again with another prayer being answered, as my hubby is now employed again!!! After two LONG years, we are both excited and extremely happy!! This is a short update as I still have lots to do this evening so until my next post may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within.....<3

Prayer and faith reminders...

As I sit here to post a small update on my blog (not all will have pictures of our latest creations), I am thankful for each blessing in my life. I wanted to share my thoughts and remind all who take time out of their busy lives to read and follow my blog, of the power of prayer, the power of faith and the power of positive thinking.

Now for those who know me really well, know that I am a very private person when it comes to my beliefs on God, religion and politics. I keep my thoughts to myself because I choose NOT to debate who's belief is right or wrong, you believe what you want and I believe what I want and as long as it isn't shoved in my face, we will get along just fine. This has always been my philosophy and will remain so. However, when you are reminded of the blessings in your life, you do at some point, wish to share and hope that it touches someone who may need it.

Let me share a little story.... A few years ago, right around Christmas time (this may get long, so bear with me please) my husband's car broke down. My daughter was bringing me home from work and I was falling apart and trying to figure out how we were going to afford to get the car fixed and Christmas presents etc. I was able to come up with a solution to our problem and my daughter looked at me and said Positive thinking changes everything Mom! We had been trying to keep each other positive through all of our challenges we were having with this line and it WORKED! Along with prayer and faith! Now from that point on, I would roll out of bed each morning and repeat this line to myself until it became a habit, and I became a very positive person. Now, I'm not saying I am positive and upbeat at all times, because the day to day struggle sometimes gets to me and I have to throw myself a little pity party, but then I'm good and back on the positive side of things again. Another example....we were going to lose our home to foreclosure shortly after that, but a realtor came to our door and said "I can put your house up for short sale". We didn't lose the house to foreclosure at all, it did sell (we saw no profit because of the short sell) and we were able to find a place for rent closer to my work. Then my husband was laid off from his job....OMGNESS, will it never end? Yes, that was what we were thinking also!! He has been unemployed now for 2 long years, and we have done our best to hold things together and barely surviving. Now this would not be possible at all on just my income alone. We have been blessed with having help from our family financially when we have desperately needed it.

Now where, you may ask, does the power of prayer, faith and positive thinking come into this? Throughout all of this! Each time that we were desperately trying to figure out where we were going to come up with money to pay this bill or put food on the table or put gas in the car, we have been blessed with a solution to the problem! I have stayed positive throughout all of our struggles, and when I have fallen down, someone was there to give me a hand back up....my husband, my daughter, my sister, a friend...reminding me that we would get through it. I prayed, my faith wavered, it was restored, I would have a rotten day and be negative..I would see the love of my life struggling to stay positive for me. How could I be feeling low, when he has been the one struggling on a daily basis to find a job and not find one?

I do not attend church for my own personal reasons, but that does not mean that I don't believe in God or pray or have faith in His will! I try every day to be a better person, and conquer my weaknesses...it will be ongoing until the day I am called home. I try so very hard to not judge people, I need to try harder! I started my project over a year ago and I cannot express to you the feelings it gives me! It progresses at a steady pace, sometimes slowly and sometimes not as fast as I would like, but patience I pray for on a daily basis! I just wanted to send a gentle reminder to those that may need it that God DOES answer prayers, in His own time and He does reward the faithful, whether you attend church or not, and the power of positive thinking does work! Sending my love out along the wires to each of you and until my next post may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within....<3

Someone is ALWAYS working on something!

This will be a small update today as I didn't get anything accomplished on my project this weekend. I did complete the bridal shower gift of a crocheted garter before the actual day of the bridal shower YAY ME! :) I am now trying to finish a baby shower gift for a good friend's daughter expecting a little boy, my our children grow up so fast! And speaking of this good friend, she completed her first hat for our Hats from the Heart/My Journey Journals!!! I am so happy to have her help (as with everyone else who helps too)!! I LOVE the color of this hat, and anyone who knows me, KNOWS that purple is my most FAVORITE color!! And I love the simplicity of it, sometimes those are the best hats!!!

 

Isn't it the greatest color? :) She is still learning the art of crocheting and she has finished a couple of scarves, and a baby blanket for her grand baby on the way, and just recently a beautiful afghan! I think she is doing a FANTASTIC job for so recently learning how to do it and still learning! :)  Shucks, I've been crocheting since I was a youngun (literally) and I still have trouble figuring out some of the patterns!

 

I am going to do my best to get a hat and a couple of journals done next weekend and another update to my blog. I do apologize for the lateness of this post, I truly thought I would be feeling up to getting a couple of journals made today. I have had a nagging headache all weekend, and I would like to say I suffer in silence, but unfortunately for my fabulous hubby, I don't most of the time :(. The headache is now gone, YAY, with the help of medication..but now I'm rushing trying to get my gift done for my friend's grand baby. ARGHHHHHHHH!!! LOL Until my next update/post may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within.....<3

 

 

Two more hats for the project!

Well the project is motoring along at a great pace so far this year! I have completed another hat, a little boy's football hat for football season. I seem to be watching a lot of football this year, so thought I would make a beanie to go along with it! I may have another football beanie in my arsenal and so far different from this one that I may have to make! So many hats floating around in my head!!!

My sister has created her first hat for the project and I must say it is simply FABULOUS!!! She calls it Faux Mo'. I think it is just fantastical!!

 

I can't tell you just how grateful I am for all the help and donations! I was feeling a little discouraged because when I put something on the bulletin board at work in the employee break room, no one seems to read it. Well, I should KNOW better than to get discouraged by now, because it always works out in the end! I know, I know....I am inpatient and that is the BIGGEST lesson I have to learn...to have patience!  Anyway, on with what made my day (it really is the little things)! I am just sitting at work, jamming away to my iPod, when two people come up to me and she had a scrap booking packet (kit?) and the one lady told me that the other lady was looking for someone to give this to and she knew the perfect person that could use it and it goes to a great cause! I was beside myself, I was so excited!!! I hesitate to use names because I have not asked permission to use their names, so please forgive me when I just use the term "lady" LOL! Needless to say the lady donating the kit, asked for a copy of the letter and she is spreading the word and looking to maybe do a little more for the project! This MADE my day so much brighter (not that it was dim by any means) and I still have the really GREAT feeling of doing something that matters and makes a difference! I again, can never express my thanks and gratitude enough to all of the warm and caring people that have taken the time to encourage, inspire, donate supplies, or their time or just to spread the word!

 

I believe that I kind of rambled on this post, but like the ripples in a pond when you plunk a pebble in, the ripples of one person's kindness is constant and far reaching! Until my next post may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within....<3

 



Another hat completed!

I have completed hat #3, a ladies breast cancer awareness hat. I have been wanting to make a hat that is specifically for breast cancer and I love the simplicity of this hat!

  



I am well on my way to completing 5 hats a month for Hats from the Heart! I would like to keep up the momentum and hope that gifts that I want to make for weddings, babies and birthdays are quick and easy and can be completed during the week.

 

I am also hoping and praying that I have an influx of donations soon, as my supplies are running a little low :) I'm getting very frustrated with Yahoo, as I can't seem to copy and paste from word into an email, not sure what the solution is, but I'm almost ready to find a new email provider :/ . Anyone else have this problem?

 

I am off to go make a couple of birthday gifts, run a couple of errands and visit a really good friend! Until my next post, may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within...<3

 







A GREAT start to the New Year

I completed my 2nd hat for the year and it is only January 1!! LOVE having a head start on this year and on my project. This is an adult male hat done in fall colors, yes I know it is winter, but the colors are so beautiful together! Reminds me of walking through a forest of fallen leaves with the multitude of colors that it brings.

I also made the 1st Journey Journal of the year in a beautiful purple (it IS my favorite color) with beautiful hearts. I may add a touch or two to the inside cover and front page now that I have a fabulous new printer that works!!

I will try to get a closer shot next time, because this picture really doesn't do it justice! If I add any additional touches to the inside, I will post pictures of that also. :)

I hope that every one's New Year has started off as positive and great as mine has, if not, remember that life is what you make of it, don't worry and stress and above all have FUN!!! Until my next update, may the light of God's love help you to Glow from Within.....