STAND BY ME

Monday, December 31, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope 2013 brings you love, health and happiness!!




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Saturday, December 29, 2012

GORGEOUS FABIC AND LACE JOURNAL!!

This has become the new "in" thing for me.  These beautiful lace and fabric journals.  I am not very good at it yet but in searching through youtube for ideas I came across this AMAZING book!!



I LOVE THIS!


Friday, December 28, 2012

BELATED BIRTHDAY CARD

We have a birthday club on one of my groups where we send each other 4x4 birthday cards.

With so many things happening recently, I didnt get a chance to make them. But as promised - I did. Okay - a little late - but with lots of love!

I made this 4x4 birthday card for my friend Eileen whose birthday was on Dec 3. We are still in December so she is still celebrating!



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3 YEARS AGO TODAY

I lost my dad after a brief but vicious cancer. I still miss him every single day of my life. I know my brothers do too.

My dad is smiling today. This morning my brother's 3rd grandson was born.


Albert Maxwell Vigil-Simmons weighed in today at 8.8 pounds and absolutely gorgeous!!

Today's sadness will always be much easier with the birth of this beautiful baby boy.

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

LOCKS OF LOVE

My grand daughter Kaitlynn has always been very vain about her hair. She is almost six yours old and has never cut her hair except for the ends.

My daughter Kristina has donated her hair to Locks of Love - a foundation that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair to cancer.

Kristina told Kaitlynn about it and asked her if she would donate her hair. I really thought she would be upset about it.

Christmas day we were watching TV and that heartbreaking commercial for St. Jude's hospital was on and Kaitkynn asked if those were the sick children that needed hair. I told her they were. She almost cried watching the commercial and told me she was giving them her hair.

Today she went and donated her hair to locks of love. I am so damned proud of her and of Kristina for teaching her an invaluable life lesson.















I am so proud of you Kaitlynn!!


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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sandy Hook Elementary School

I can not shake the horror if this tragedy. It has affected me deeply as I am sure it has affected everyone around the world. I feel as devastated by this incident as I did after the 911 attack on New York.


My heart breaks for those parents. Any time would be awful but it has to be especially horrible during the Christmas holidays. Those family will NEVER be able to live through another Christmas without returning to this horrific event.


I think the feeling that is strongest is the feeling of total impotence. I dont know any of the victims or their families. Yet I am pulled to go to Newtown.... To HUG someone. You know what I mean?



What can we do? Not just for Newtown but for this entire country? What can we do about these senseless, horrible murders? How can this country not react when we see TWENTY families are burying their children?!


I heard on HLN that there were 16 "mass murders" in this country this year alone.


Why in the WORLD would this country sell these weapons to ANYONE???? What is the justification for anyone to own that type of weapon? A weapon that can kill so many people in a matter of seconds!?


I personally have serious issues with the NRA but I do understand the that the Constitution gave us the right to bear arms.


But does anyone really believe that the men who created that right had any IDEA of what an assault rifle would be or how many people it could kill?? Do you think they had ANY idea of what the citizens of this country would turn against their own?


It is inconceivable to me that this country has become the joke of the world. With all our Freedoms we can no longer live in freedom from fear.

Other countries live in fear of violence, of atrocious actions by their own people.


This country with its wonderful opportunities and all these 'freedoms' ---- except for the freedom from fear. We are living with the very fears and questions that so many people who live in 3rd world countries live with this same fear.

And THIS is growth? They want teachers to take weapons to school!!!! Doesnt any one see that this is so wrong on so many levels!????


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Saturday, December 15, 2012

What is happening???

I am tired of feeling sad. After the awful massacre in Connecticut I realize that my problems are insignificant. My heart hurts for those people. And those babies.... What is happening in this country?! How can we tolerate a world where our children are mot safe in an elementary school?????
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES????

December 28, 2009 I lost my dad to cancer. Nine weeks between diagnosis and death.

Today we were told my mother has bone cancer. Thankfully its not as aggressive as my dad's.

What are the chances of losing both parents to cancer?!?!?!

I don't even know what to say.


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Monday, December 3, 2012

DECEMBER DAILY

THese are the first 12 pages if my December Journal.


Pages 1, 3 and 5


Pages 2, 4, 6


Pages 7, 9 and 11


Pages 8, 10 and 12.

We are going to Disney from the 7th through the tenth so I made these pages with more writing space and space for pictures and "stuff". Plan to add the 2013 Disney pin to the page.

The pages are not decorated. I figured Id embellish it as I go.

Some pages are made on cardstock and some from different weight chipboard.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

December Daily

I have received questions on the December Daily.  I have 12 pages of it done so far.  I have another 19 to go!!  I am using an 8 3/4 x 8 3/4 chipboard album which is not too big but not so small that I feel claustrophobic!

I am using the City Sidewalks paper line by Pink Paisley which I love.



I will post the first 12 pages either later tonight or tomorrow.  The great thing about this type of journal is that although I will make all the pages - I will only be doing the backgrounds.  I have all month to add ephemera to my journal; pockets to add receipts and christmas cards.  Lots of room for pictures.

Maybe you want to add envelopes for those great family recipes that come out during the holidays.

This is the first year I've done this but I am really excited about it.

How about you?  Did any of you do a December Daily this year???

A GOAL TO HELP ME GET BY


For the first time this year I made a December Daily.  I have never been good at doing ANYTHING daily but for some reason this year I really wanted to do it and did.

I will admit to being madly in love with Oprah Winfrey.  Listening to Super Soul Sundays always leaves me feeling good for the rest of the week.

Today's show has reached into my very soul.  It spoke to me in a way that has impacted me greatly.

With Charlie in jail I had already determined that it was going to be an awful Christmas.  I just wanted to close my eyes and open them in January.  How can I look at beautiful christmas decorations, listen to christmas music with my son in jail?  It just wasnt going to happen.

Oprah's guests today discussed what I already knew but forget at times.  That we need to live in gratitude.  That living in sadness and negativity is not what God or the universe intended for us.

Every day in my December Daily I will make an affirmation of gratitude.  I will find something to be grateful for despite the despair and the hurt.  I will send out positive energy so that positive things can happen.

I will be grateful.