boo to you...

Andrew and Emily's Halloween cards...The adorable paper is My Mind's Eye - Boo to You.

Can you believe it's Halloween already? Where did the year go? Emily's first birthday is just around the corner...

I can remember as a child how exciting Halloween day was and how it seemed to take forever to get dark. Now I am anxiously waiting for my grandbabies to get all dressed up and come over to gramma's for their Halloween pictures and goody bags. It should be perfect weather for trick or treating, not too hot, no rain...around 65 degrees...just perfect.

Hope you all have fun plans for today. Enjoy the ghost's and goblin's in your life.

Blessings,

Patty

pretty please...

just because...

get comfy, rest and get better...

happy birthday...

thanks for all you do...


Thanks for stopping by my blog. When I began this site a few months ago, I wasn't sure if anyone would ever visit. It's reassuring to know you're out there...

I just came home from my Women's bible study and I can't tell you how special my table ladies are to me. Some of us have been together a long time and have been through the highs and lows that life brings. We have also been joined this year by new ladies and time is revealing to us why God has placed them at our table. It amazes me how He weaves together such diverse women with so much in common. What a blessing it is to have such a support and accountablity system in place. I am really looking forward to studying and growing with these women this year.

It's getting late, so I am off to bed...

Blessings,

Patty

The cards I posted tonight came together easily because of the beautiful paper from My Mind's Eye - Pretty Please. The stamps are from Papertrey Ink, Karen Lockhart, Unity and G Studio, the buttons are vintage from PTI, colored with copics and distressed with rose coral chalkbox ink.

If you're here from the Gratitude Hop, your next stop is Pam Speidel at http://smileycollector.blogspot.com/ ...enjoy.

autumn blessings... {D}

the buttons...

vintage autumn blessings

boo...

I found these great vintage buttons in historic downtown Temecula, CA. Each one is different, each unique and that's what I love about them. I love that about people, too. Each of us, with all our quirks and insecurities, is different with a story to tell as to why we are the way we are.

I watched Gran Torino last night with my husband. It was a movie that was hard for me to sit through because as my husband says, I don't like to see things that are too real. I would rather not see that a darker world exists. It is one of those movies that sticks with you, I can't stop thinking about it. It's a world foreign from mine and yet, the family ties, the love, the loyalty, are the same.

I find myself this morning thankful to God for a safe place to live and raise children and thankful for a heart that longs to make a difference even if it's just one life at a time.

Psalm 86:11 says, "Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death."

What are God's ways? What does his truth say? We are to love Him and to love one another... We are to put other's needs above our own... We are to show others the love of Christ. We can't do that, if we don't venture out of our comfort zone and trust him to show us the way.

How does that look for me? I come before God and ask him to show me some way, each day, how I am ignorant to someone else's struggle. How can I make a difference for them, right now? Whether it be a kind word, a meal to eat or an ear that will listen. There are hurting people out there living in a too real world. I know I will be held accountable for having eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Thankfully, we have a merciful God and he gives us today to make a difference. Forgetting the missed opportunities of yesterday, I want to live according to his truth, today.

Blessings,

Patty

The cards are made with My Mind's Eye paper, Papertrey Ink sentiment and crafty secret flowers plus some really cool vintage buttons!

you inspire me... {D}

You inspire me...don't you just love this sentiment. To be inspirational or encouraging to someone, what a compliment. Don't take it lightly. This life we're living can be tough at times and if you can encourage someone to persevere or inspire someone to make a difference in their world or someone else's is huge!

My quiet time this morning, had me in Ephesians 1: 3-8. "All praise to God the Father who has showered us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ...He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."

I am thinking how often I choose to go it alone in life. How often I make decisions or choices without calling on the spiritual blessings, wisdom and understanding that God has showered on me. I not talking which scent to buy at Bath & Body...I am talking about decisions that affect me and my family, whether it be financial, emotional, or spiritual.

I am a doer, not a contemplater by nature and that is not always a good thing. Yes, I get a lot done in 24 hours but what gets done is not always for the best in the long run. I am married to a contemplater, he will analyze the thing to death before beginning. Needless to say, painting a room together is not going to be a harmonious experience. In the time it takes him to decide on the color, purchase the right paint, determine if we have all the tools, prep the room and begin the job, I have put on two coats of paint and shoved the furniture back into place. But...two weeks later, I discover the paint color is wrong, I didn't cut the corners just right and the dresser is sticking to the wall because I didn't let it dry all the way. You get my point.

Ephesians 1 tells us that we were chosen by God which brought him great pleasure. He loves us simply because we are his, not because of the amount we do or don't do. He pours out grace on us, he showers us with every spiritual blessing. He has wisdom and understanding at our disposal if we would just ask for it.

So this brings me to the question...Why don't we call on him? Why don't we use what he has freely offered? Why do we go it alone based on our own limited, finite resource of wisdom and knowledge, when the creator of the universe has offered us his unlimited wisdom to draw on?

This lesson is definitely for me...Slow down...breathe...inquire...listen...obey.

Blessings,

Patty

The paper is My Minds Eye, Bloom & Grow, the sentiment is from Unity Stamp July KOM.

Emily

Too cool...Emily the star...Have your people call my people and we'll do lunch!

I love these pictures of my grand daughter Emily at six months old. Her infectious grin makes me crack up every time. These pages are for Emily's first year of life album. It records her every month from newborn to twelve months old. I have one started for both my grandchildren and each page brings back a flood of memories and smiles.

The paper is My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow. I have had this line for quite sometime and have finally pulled it out to use. I used it for the previous pages for my daughters and I have a couple of cards to post later. It's just about all gone now but as much as I like it, I am always anxious to pull out new papers from my ever growing stash to play with.