Flying Paint--Oops!

Okay, so I forgot to check the lid before shaking. I thought it was closed but I guess not. There are purple dots everywhere on my art table. Also on paint tubes, papers, tools, you name it. Anything within flying distance was game. I bet I will be discovering purple dots for years to come. And upon further inspection, this lid acts like it's closed but it actually is not. Oh my! Better be careful with some of my favorite paints! But at least I was able to wipe up some of the mess and put it on book paper and onto the next page in my Art {Marks} journal. So, what accidental messes have you made lately?

Make Some Extra Christmas Cash!

Want to make money shopping as you usually do? Sign up for Ebates!! My referral link is below. About 90% of the stores I use online are there! I still shop as normal, use my normal coupons, and Ebates sends me a check every quarter. I signed up this time last year and have made over $400 doing nothing different than I normally do. There is NO catch, and even some of your favorite stores may be there (amazon, Etsy, eBay, HSN, etc.). There are hundreds and hundreds of stores there. Click on my referral link below to get started. I avoided the commercial for years, and now I ache seeing how much money I threw away. Literally. Who doesn't want to save more money when they shop online? Don't throw money away; join me here:

Patter's Referral Link

Thanks, and let me know if you have questions. I will answer in the comment section!

May You Have a Joyous {Easter}

May you be blessed on this Easter as you praise God for His precious gift of eternal life!

Remember to enter by tonight for your chance to win some Blue Fern Studios chipboard. See this post here. Also, our next Glory {Art} Challenge will be posted on Sunday, April 12th. Joyous Easter Blessings to You,

Scripture Lessons and Lyrics Challenge Update

Hello sweet blog readers! I wanted to let you know that I had to take an unexpected trip to South Carolina. Because of this trip, I have not been able to finish today's lesson. I will get it posted for you by Monday or Tuesday. So sorry for the delay. I pray you have a blessed night, and if you need to create something, remember you can always send a card to my sweet friend, Sue, of Stampin' Things that has cancer. To read the post about Sue, please scroll down to the next post or click here. Thanks for your understanding, and be back soon! Blessings,

A Heavy Heart and Benefit

Most of you have seen me post about Stampin' Things over the years. I have SO many of Sue's beautiful storage units, and they truly are my favorite storage pieces. They are made to last! Unfortunately, Sue was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in January 2013. The cancer has now spread through her bones. The family has also had to move losing their home of many, many years. I have spoken to Sue on the phone and her spirits have been high and always trusting in our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The family is holding a benefit in Stillwater, MN, on April 26th. You can read all of the information below. But please don't stop here. Please continue to read this post as there are several other ways to help!  

Now I am not sure if any of my blog readers even live in the area. But here are the other ways you can help:

*Attend the benefit if you are in the area. Please give Sue a HUGE hug from me if you are able to go!

*Send a card to Sue at:

Sue Nagel

12427 Square Lake Trail N. 

 Stillwater, MN 55082

*Make a donation to help with their financial hardship to:

Lake Elmo Bank

Sue Nagel Benefit Fund

11465 39th St. N.

Lake Elmo, MN 55042

*Prayers for Sue and her family however God leads you!

*Forward this post to friends, family, anyone that you think may be interested in helping Sue and her family!

*Continue to buy her amazing storage pieces. Sue's husband continues to get them out:

Visit Stampin' Things by clicking here. Here are just a few of the pieces I have:

This piece is actually a combination of 3 pieces—two Elite units and one Topper unit stacked on top of each other. I truly use this daily! It contains all of my stamp ink, reinkers, and Stickles. It has four sides for storage and turns beautifully and smooth!

This piece is great for Project Life cards and other cards, tools, and embellishments. 

Click here to see my post on this particular unit.

This is the Die Cuts and More storage piece. It also has four sides, turns, and has tons of storage for your die cuts, punches, embossing folders, and more!

Now, there are many more products on Sue's website. One of my favorites that I don't have yet is the Marker Mate. It looks awesome if you need storage for your markers of any type (even colored pencils). Be sure to look. Whatever you choose, you will NOT be disappointed! Thank you for stopping by and considering helping Sue in any way that you might be able to help! May you be blessed as you lift up another sister in Christ!

Winter Storm {Pax}

So are you in the path of this storm? Have you been hit already? We are still in the midst of it. We are enjoying the snow so very much. I don't think I have been in snow like this since 1983! The beauty of the large snowflakes falling and collecting everywhere is just breath-taking! I thought I would share a few photos with you. I don't know when in my lifetime I might see something like this again. I am enjoying every minute of it.

Our 2 1/2 year old Keeshond that has epilepsy and other neurological issues. He loves the snow.

My mailbox looking so beautiful with the snow.

And here is what my front door looked like this morning.

We certainly have not gotten 25 inches of snow but we have drifts that high around the house. I can't even get out of my garage. They are saying we may not be able to get out until at least Sunday. Wow! Stay safe, and enjoy the weather wherever you are! Have a blessed Thursday!

Iced In and Chance to Win!

Well, the ice came down hard yesterday, and we are still iced in this morning! I have to skate everywhere when I take the dogs out. Even the ground is ice. I thought you might enjoy a few photos of our ice rink. The hill to the right going down leads to hubby's garage. Hmmm, I don't think he is going anywhere today either. I guess none of us are!

And I don't think our poor puppy knows what to do though he is loving the cold!

And lastly, Blue Fern Studios has joined CSI today for a blog hop. Leslie of Blue Fern Studios is giving away an amazing set of chipboard you don't want to miss! So, jump over here and scroll down to see what Leslie is giving away and how to enter to win!!! I would LOVE for one of my blog readers to win this amazing chipboard!!! It is truly wonderful to work with.

Enjoy the day everyone, and stay safe and warm! Blessings,

My Card is Up & New Blog Design

Tuesday I shared a tip on how to cut thin paper using intricate dies. If you missed that tip, please click here. Well, my card has now been revealed on the Memory Box DT blog. I will share a picture here but be sure to jump over to the DT blog to see the details on how I made this card and to be entered to win some of the new 2013 Memory Box dies! I always love it when one of my blog readers is a winner! Click here to head to the DT blog, and here is my card:

And if you didn't notice, I have a new blog design. Instead of doing it myself this time, I hired Kristine Davidson to do it for me. Isn't it gorgeous? It shares some of my passions--pink, birds, things in 3's, and scripture! Yeah! Thank you Kristine for an amazing overhaul to my blog!

Thanks for stopping by everyone, and if I could ask for prayers for my mom that will have surgery tomorrow for skin cancer and my daughter who just lost her job today. It's been a hard one but God is good because my daughter's devotion this morning before heading off to work was trusting the Lord. He knew what was coming, and that has already been a comfort to her! Many blessings to each of you!

Frost

Yes, this is what we have woken up to this morning--gorgeous, cold frost. I guess it's appropriate as many of us are sick in our household. We are feelin' kind of "frosty." :) Anyway, Happy New Year to each of you, and next week I hope to get back into the swing of things with Tuesday's {Tips}, Organizational {Friday}, the Hymn and Scripture 2013 Challenge, etc., so be watching! Have a blessed weekend, and thanks to all of you that join in!

Monday's {Moment}

I wasn't going to post anything today; however, when the sun started to come up this morning, I was able to see the most amazing site over the water. It was so stunning that I couldn't "not" share it with you. Here is what I woke up to:

We are studying Genesis this year in BSF, and this gorgeous and breathtaking site made me think of Genesis 1:2 which says "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." That fog over the water gave me such a visual of God's Spirit within me and God surrounding me. He is with me all of the time even when I don't see "the fog." I pray that you will remember even when you are busy and may not remember He is there, He is!!! He is waiting for you to talk to Him, to tell Him your joys and concerns, and to give you His peace that passes all understanding. Have a blessed week everyone and remember your loving Father is there "hovering" over you!

P.S. For those of you that asked if I have new photos of the house yet, I don't. I am sorry. We went on vacation, school started, and it has all slowed down my unpacking process. I pray I have a finished studio for you to see soon because it's driving me nuts working in chaos. LOL!

Tuesday's {Tip} Laughter

Today I woke up not feeling so hot--not ill just really tired and worn out. I went upstairs to check my e-mail, and I got an e-mail from a homeschool mom. She was letting the local homeschool community know about a Christian comedian that would be playing Friday night at a local church. Well, I personally had never heard of him--Tim Hawkins. Maybe some of you have seen him or heard of him. Well, I must say, after previewing some of his skits and listening to him sing, my day has been filled with joy. Sometimes we just need a little laughter to get us going. So, if you have had a rough day, your feeling down, or just need a moment to laugh, I highly encourage you to visit Tim's link here to watch some clips. There are many to choose from! Some of my favorites so far have been: "Hand Sanitizer," "The Perils of Childhood," "Girls vs. Boys," "Have You Eaten," "Air Travel," and "Turning 40." There are so many more to watch. I have laughed so hard today that I have cried, snorted, you name it. Praise God for the gift of laughter, song, and talented people like Tim Hawkins!

Now I leave you with one of Tim's amazing songs--yes, he sings too. Listen to the words he has written to Bon Jovi's song and enjoy each and every minute! Blessings,

Wednesday {Reflections}

This week, God has really put the word "reflect/reflections" on my heart. I have been focusing on that word a lot as I ride my bike and see God's beauty surrounding me. What does my attitude reflect? Do people see God in me or a heart filled with "yuck"? How do I reflect God's glory each day? If I don't, why not? Am I actively praying about reflecting Him to those around me each day?

Proverbs 27:19 "As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

How will your life reflect Him today? Blessings to each of you as you live for Him and His great purpose!

A Little {Wednesday} Funny

This morning as I was riding my bike, I ran across these "beauties."

They were right next to me as I was on the bike path. Ick! Not sure what they were munching on. I wasn't going into the dead leaves to see either. LOL! :) So, in Texas we get vultures and in South Carolina I get my alligators! Never a dull moment. That's why I always ride with my camera in my basket! :)

Have a blessed Wednesday!

Organizational {Friday} Answering Your Questions

If you remember from my big blog post/celebration celebrating my subscribers, many of you had questions. Today I thought I would share answers to your questions since some of them were organization related. So, let's get started.

First, many of you commented on how you enjoy my organizational posts, Scripture Challenges, and the new art journaling posts. I have a link list to a lot of my organizational posts here so it's easy to find what you need. Also, because I have been out of town, I haven't had a chance to create any art journaling pages. It is killing me! :) Anyway, I hope to have one for you in the next week or so. I definitely need some crafting time. I have missed it terribly! Now onto your comments/questions.

Jennifer in Ohio asked:
Some topic suggestions: how to organize a series of layouts into actual scrapbooks since some of us are working on recent photos as well as our stash of pictures from earlier in life (or the lives of our relatives).

*Jennifer, I have done several posts on photos. The most recent post shows how I have my pages and photos in my scrapbooks. This works if you are doing recent photos or older photos. You can see that post here. I hope that is what you were looking for. :)

Jennifer continues:
How to arrange finished cards and store them until we give or send them, how to earmark some photos or subjects that inspire me far more than others, and keep track of a growing collection while putting it to use rather than just accumulating papers and embellies.

*I have not had posts on these topics but will add them to my list. Thanks Jennifer!

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Lain said:
More tutorials that are simple and easy would be great!

*I will try to add them as I can. I get so busy so it's harder to take the time to do a tutorial. We will see what I can do. :)

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joannhw said:
I would love to see more scripture challenges in the future.

Laura B asked:
I've wanted to ask you for a while-do you have a compilation of your Faith Journaling and Scripture Challenges in one doc somewhere for easy reference? THis would be so helpful!

*Lain, I am praying about where God will lead me for 2012. Right now we still have the 2011 ABC Scripture Challenge going. Feel free to join in if you haven't done so! I would love to have you or anyone else that wants to dive in! And you can see a compilation of all of my older Scripture Challenges here that can be done at any time! :) Laura, these are lists that hopefully are what you were looking for.

Scripture Challenge 2008
His Holy Name Challenge 2009
Scripture Challenge 2010
ABC Scripture Challenge 2011

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Stamper Gail said:
I would however love to see different types of projects using scripture. Right now I'm in the making of a post board next to my computer where I can perhaps velcro laminated scripture verses each week.

*I try to use scripture on most of my creations. I hope as you look through my blog you will find scriptures for your board. I also just love to open my Bible and see what God gives me right on the page I open to. Hope that helps.

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Olivia said:
Would love to see mini albums with different faith journaling themes.

*Olivia, unfortunately I don't do many mini albums. The closest thing I have to mini albums are my Scripture Challenge pages and ATCs. I do have some ideas for a few things but just never have time to implement them. I will see when and how God expands my time in the future for such things. :)

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Valerie said:
I bookmarked the posts on Kiwi and Sugar...I have ALWAYS wanted a Sun Conure and I live vicariously through you.

*Okay, I had to post a fun one as our last comment. Thank you Valerie! We have had birds since before hubby and I were married 22 1/2 years ago. I had a canary; he had finches. Our love of birds has only increased over the years, and we have always had birds! I must say Kiwi and Sugar are our favorite. Ooops, I am not supposed to play favorites am I? LOL! Anyway, as my knowledge of caring for domestic parrots has increased, so has my joy of them. They are SO very intelligent, and truly a blessing in our lives. Here are Kiwi and Sugar about 30 minutes after we arrived home from our 17-day vacation this past Sunday. They are a hoot, and I hope y'all enjoy!

Thank you all for your questions, your love, and your prayers. You all are a blessing, and may God protect those of you in the path of Hurricane Irene! Happy Friday!

Need Flowers?

**Please note: For those of you looking for today's Journaling Challenge prompt, you can find the post by clicking here or by scrolling down just below this post. Thank you!

Warning, if you are addicted to flowers and don't need any, you may want to avoid this post. :) I was enabled the other day when I came across a new blog called "Dena's Stamping Corner." She has some gorgeous creations. She also had a link to a store in England called Wild Orchid Crafts. They have many amazing flowers, leaves, etc. Their prices are great, and the shipping was FAST! I ordered on 5/3/11 and received my order (from England to Texas) on 5/10/11. Just 7 days!!! Wow! Here is the stash I got on Tuesday:

Aren't they lovely? I should have gotten a few more of the larger sized flowers and more leaves. I guess it's just another excuse to order again. LOL! Anyway, I thought I would share today for those of you that love flowers. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

50% off {Sale} & Don't Forget!!

If you remember my post about storing trims last week, you also saw some of the amazing trims I purchased from A Million Memories. Well, I found out this morning that everything in the store is 50% off (except things marked *new*). So, if you want to get your hands on some great trims and other goodies, you might want to look here! You should use code SALE3 at checkout! I hope that helps some of y'all get some great goodies at a great price! Second, don't forget about the challenge I am holding at Two Peas in a Bucket! You have a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Our Daily Bread Designs, and you don't have to use ODBD stamps to enter! You can see complete details here, and you have through tomorrow (3/13) to enter! I surely would love to see one of y'all enter and win!!!!
Well, enjoy your Saturday, and may God give His wisdom and peace to all of those effected by the tragedy in Japan! Blessings to each of you!