Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Catching up around here...

Hmm, where to start? Well, how about I start with telling you that a new prompt is up at the Forward Progress blog? The prompt is to imagine that you are 20 years in the future and write a letter to your current self. I used more of the yummy Teresa Collins Crush line to make my layout:
Journaling:
Dear Staci,
I wanted to let you know that life is good. Sure, there have been some bumps in the road, but I have gotten through them, and they have made me appreciate the good in my life even more. While on this journey, there are some things I have learned along the way:
1. Embrace the every day moments in your life. I know it is hard to do with two small children when your days are often chaotic and they sometimes all run together, but try to sit back and take it all in. Breathe in these moments and truly let them surround you, as before you know it, they will be gone.
2. Speaking of moments being gone, don’t live in the past. I know you have a hard time of letting go of each passing phase – your babies no longer being babies is a big one for you. Remember that life goes on and with each new phase, new amazing memories will be formed. Try not to linger so much on the goodbyes but instead embrace the hellos of a new stage.
3. Worrying gets you nowhere. I know it is easy to get lost in all of the endless possibilities out in this big, sometimes bad world, but worrying changes nothing. The only thing worrying does is alter your quality of life in a negative way. So many things that you worry about are out of your control, so breathe in, and let the worries go.
4. Nurture yourself. It is easy to consume yourself with being a good wife and a good mom, not to mention being good at your work. But remember that you are important, too. Don’t let yourself feel guilty for taking the time to nurture hobbies and things that you enjoy. If you live your whole life for others, you are cheating yourself.
I know that a lot of these things you already know, but sometimes a good reminder is important. Please know that in staying true to yourself and living the life you want to live, your life continues to be good to you. Oh, and by the way, you have aged very gracefully :-)
Love always,
Me at 53 (your twenty-year-older self)

Next up: Denise from the Scrapping Out Loud challenge blog asked me to Guest Design for her this week. You can check it out here.

Finally, I finished my project for Round 4 of the contest at A Million Memories. Ack! It took me forever, but I sure had fun with it! I made a Winter Village. I found patterns for the tree, houses, church and schoolhouse online. I made them out of chipboard and covered the body of each building in pp. I painted the windows, doors and roof and applied lots and lots of diamond dust to the rooftops to look like snow. I painted my tree and covered it with a garland. I used a cotton ball to make smoke coming out of one of the chimneys. I used fake snow to cover my base and again added a lot of diamond dust and glitter. The fence probably took me the longest, lol - I freehanded each piece out of chipboard, painted all of the pieces white and then glued it together. Finally, no village would be complete without people! I dug out some Basic Grey pp from last year (Mellow line) - the people and dogs were the perfect size for my village, so I cut them out and placed them within the village.
Wish me luck!

How is everyone's week going so far?

24 comments:

Annelies said...

I love your winter village!! Where did you find the patterns online? I have been searching, but found only really small ones...
Thanks a lot!

Annelies

Flair Girl said...

Breath taking! Well done. I enjoy following your success and progress and you are continually inspiring!!

Jocelyn said...

Oh Staci, I just adore the LO and the journaling. Wow, is what you said, so very true!!! And the village, well I am just speechless! It is stunning!!! Look at you go girl and I have something so well deserved for you to pick up from my blog, it's an award!!!!!! You are so truly talented!!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Alex said...

With that talent, you don't need luck - it is FABULOUS!!!! And, I love your layout, what a great challenge! My week, hmmm....my son comes home tonight, I am off to the airport in an hour, whoohoo! *STAMPIN HUGS* Alex

doris sander said...

love your little winter village . . . so charming. :D

Unknown said...

Your little village is so cute, and I LOVE how you have his first cruch scrapbooked.

Meg Giroux said...

Staci I adore your layout, everything you said is just so true. What a gorgeous layout!

How incredibly cool is this village! You are so incredibly talented, you are totally going to rock the AMM Contest!!! I absolutely love this!
Good luck my friend, my fingers are crossed for you!

denine zielinski said...

Goodness, girl! That village is amazing! Good luck....but I don't think you'll need luck with that fab creation!

Audrey Pettit said...

Wow, Staci! Amazing work, girl! I am really touched by your beautiful page and sweet letter to yourself. You are definitely full of sound wisdom, girl. And your village.....how freaking awesome! Absolutely fabulous! Love, love, love it. And those BG cut-outs....pure genius.
Congrats on the GDT spot. Going to go check out that link now.
Have a great one!

Anonymous said...

HOLY MOLY!
Staci boo, girl that is off the chain I love it,and that LO is fab too, but you already know me loves ya, but Ima tell you again anyway LOLOL..Happy Wednesday ..

The journaling on the LO was awesome thanks for sharing that.

hugs
Sasha

Denise said...

Wow, you are so talented! Love the village and we all loved your beautiful layout at Scrapping Out Loud! Thanks for being our guest DT this week!

Lucy Edson said...

Love that prompt! I had an idea immediately for it! Thanks for the inspiration!

Good luck on the AMM contest - your Christmas village is amazing!!

Charlotte Cramer said...

YES!!!! What an awesome letter to yourself!!!!!! I love this!!!! HOW TRUE!!! I feel the same way!! :))

Your little village is AMAZING!!!!!

Jen Martakis said...

Staci, I just love the journaling on your layout. Lol at aging gracefully. Love it!

Your village is GORGEOUS!! Very cool!

Diana said...

Staci,

I enjoyed reading your journeling into the future; now if you only practice what you write,it will be great. And let's see, where will that leave me in 20 years, very much older, so I don't even want to go there right now.

I LOVED your winter village, it is really breath taking, you outdid yourself once again.

Love,
Mom

Brenda Hurd said...

oh my - that little village is just the cutest thing ever..... i love the little people and the dog. The layout is fab too - the pink and red are perfect - so is the journling!

Amy said...

OMGOSH your little village is so darn cute!! You have the best ideas ever!! I will wish you luck but if you dont win ,they would be CRAZY b/c you rocked it!
And I loved your journaling on the layout !!!

My week Just working! I hope to get some craft things done with my son before Christmas. He loves to make christmas chains for the whole house,and I plan on making so sweet treats for christmas!
hope you have a wonderful week too girl!
I love coming to your blog you always have something that inspires me!

~Amie~ said...

love love love your little village and the BG people = perfect!!

Fab in every way Staci!

Wendy Kwok said...

Love your Christmas village. SO GORGEOUS! Wow....

ellen s. said...

that winter village is awesome and of course your lo about your letter for Forward Progress is awesome. i freakin' love! love the pic of you in the hat!

Pearl said...

oh my ! the time you took to do the fence !!! I do admire your patience, Staci ! & that snowy base !!! just wonderful !

Fab layout with the letter from your older self ! lol ! I'm not good about going back to the future !

Gems said...

How cute is that winter village?

And I love that prompt of writing a letter to myself!

xxx

Andrea Amu said...

That's some wonderful journaling on your prompt challenge! Fab page!

The winter village is so sweet, girl. I really hope you win big with AMM! You so deserve to. ;)

Happy Holidays to you and your family, Stacy!

Stacey Michaud said...

Loving the letter and all that you wrote to yourself! Great journaling and you know that I love great journaling! That village is just awesome too! Have a great holiday in case I don't "see" you! LOL!