I really need a BIGGER craft room!

Good evening and much love! I am finding that I'm having a hard time finding a place to put everything...you know things like, yarn, scrapbook paper, composition notebooks, etc...:) Thankfully, I have an awesome hubby who came into my office/craft room and helped me a little bit this evening and now I have a little bit more space. It was getting a tad claustrophobic in here, what with a chair (for a lack of a place to put it) in the middle of the floor, and a box of yarn next to it, and then a case of composition notebooks beside that...LOL Needless to say, everything has now been rearranged and moved into it's proper spot. Now, I have to figure out how to get a certain "spot" on my shelf vacated so I can use that also (we won't name any names on who that spot belongs to, who NEVER comes in here anyway). ;P We are still a really LONG way from where I would like this room to be, but it is slowly getting there and a little more organization will keep my OCD'ness in check ;) , mostly.

I have finally set a date for our Journey Journaling event, and have sent out invites. I am super EXCITED to finally be getting this set up. A couple of weekends ago, I covered the inside pages of all the fabric covered journals that I had, and also stamped them with a little stamp that my sister in MD gave to me. I will share a little picture of stamped pages below. I want whomever decorates a journal to put their name in the back, so that the patients who receive them KNOW who's creativity they are looking at (no last names, just a first name).

Cute right?! I must send my unending gratitude to my friend who is allowing me to have this at her house, as my house just isn't big enough! She has such a huge heart and I'm eternally grateful for all her help in organizing our event. I just hope more people will want to attend than just a handful of us ;) It will be November 1st, so we have plenty of time to get Halloween out of the way (you all do remember this is my FAVORITE holiday, right?) and it is before we really start gearing ourselves up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. :)  May have some wine to go along with our finger foods and desserts...so it promises to be FUN!!!! :D

I have been busily creating hats, so I haven't been sitting still...well, at least my hands have not been still anyway LOL I have several pictures for you to enjoy of the latest creations, and please remember that I get my patterns offline and they are normally free, I just have decided that I really don't have a lot of time to put links in here, as I don't think anyone looks at them anyway. So credit goes out to all those who offer free patterns online, I appreciate them very much!!! I am always looking for new designs to make hats with, and these hats are donated to cancer patients. So enjoy the next few pictures of a couple of men's hats and several ladies hats!!

I don't know how I got so off with my ladies hats vs men's hats, but somehow I got my creativity wires crossed LOL  I LOVE them all!!! The last hat pictured was inspired by a beautiful bouquet of flowers that I bought to brighten my kitchen table, I loved the colors so much that I just KNEW I had to make a hat with those colors. :)  Inspiration comes from all over the place, and most of the time it is just the simplest thing that has inspired me. I'm so grateful for the blessings of being able to create hats and journals and for the beautiful people in my life that support this wonderful journey! I leave you with an angel, this is a beautiful work of art and it inspires me and makes me think of the many angels surrounding all of us. Until my next update may the light of God's love touch your heart and soul and help you to Glow from Within...........<3

Ooops, was I supposed to be cleaning?!

Good Morning all my friends! I hope my update finds you all healthy and happy on this beautiful Sunday morning :)  I took a week off from work, with the best intentions of getting my fall cleaning done, but only got about half of it done LOL My goal was to create a hat and clean a room for each day I was off and at home. Ha ha ha, yeah...okay! In my own defense, it started out that way ;), then I went to my sister's house (as planned) and stayed a day longer (not planned) than I was going to. Well, we DID get 60 composition notebooks covered in fabric, so we WERE busy! I think I may have dropped my cleaning motivation off on the side of the road on the way back, because I absolutely have none to finish my fall cleaning. I'm SURE I will get back to it, as it is still kind of driving my OCD brain a little crazy having dust and grime all over everything, but this weekend it is not going to get done :D I am going to enjoy my last day off before it is time to go back to work tomorrow. I still have to cover the inside of these journals with pretty paper, but here is a picture of our additional stash of journals.

I have another case sitting here in my office/craft room to cover with fabric and paper also. Right now, I believe our stash count sits at 94 journals covered, with 34 ready to decorate!! Now add the 11 that my beautiful daughter has already decorated, and a case of 20 still left to cover and.....you do the math, it's too early for my brain LOL :)  WOOOHOOOOO for our little group!!! :) I have enough to create a Journey Journaling party/event so we can get them decorated. I think this will be fabulously fun and I hope that I get a few people who want to come and join us! Here is another shot of the most recently covered journals and a shot of a donation by my beautiful friend Rhonda of yarn, thank you from the depths of my heart and soul!!!

I have quite a few pictures of hat's that I have made and a couple that my sister made also. So let's just get to it shall we? The last hat I just finished up this morning and I created it without a pattern or picture, just started crocheting it last night because I just couldn't find what I wanted to make online. :) 

There you have it, all the hat's we have made so far for this update! Still keeping busy with making the adult hats, so that we have plenty to donate at the beginning of December!! Ahhhhhhhh, this date is fast approaching, this year is just FLYING by!!!

I had promised a couple of updates ago, that I would find my poem that I look at when I'm feeling sad, or low, or just struggling in general. My sister sent this to me when my honey was unemployed and we were struggling to make ends meet and staying positive. It has helped me immensely whenever I have needed it, hopefully sharing it with everyone may help out someone else that needs it.

It's In The Valleys I Grow

 

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

Full of sorrow, trouble and woe.

It's then, that I have to remember,

It's in the valleys that I grow.

 

If I always stayed on the mountain top,

And never experienced pain.

I would never appreciate God's love,

And would be living in vain.

 

I have so much to learn,

And my growth is so very slow.

Sometimes I need the mountain tops,

But it's in the valleys that I grow.

 

I do not always understand,

Why things happen as they do.

But, I am very sure of one thing,

My Lord will see me through.

 

My little valleys or nothing,

When I picture Christ on the cross.

He went through the valley of death,

His victory was Satan's loss.

 

Forgive me, Lord, for complaining,

When I'm feeling so very low.

Just give me a gentle reminder,

It's in the valleys that I grow.

 

Continue to strengthen me, Lord

And use my life each day

To share Your love with others

And help them find their way.

 

Thank you for the valleys, Lord

For this one thing I know

The mountain tops are glorious

But it's in the valleys that I grow.

 

 

Sending my love out to each and every one of you, and thank you for supporting us and following us throughout our journey~ until my next update...may the light of God's love touch your heart and soul and help you to Glow from Within.............<3