Cast all your anxiety

Blah. That pretty much sums up how I am feeling physically right now. Something hit yesterday afternoon and it hit hard. I spent the afternoon and entire night feeling pretty sick. I was hoping to be able to catch up today but I'm still not up to par...and those panicky feelings I had yesterday morning about everything that needed to be done? I'd be having an anxiety attack at this point if it weren't for one of my favorite verses: Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5: 7. I decided that was the perfect theme for today's card. I also played a little bit with the new Good Times stamp set...so I made a card using the cute cupcake.

I included a picture of Matthew that I took before I was quite awake this morning. He was heading to downtown Denver's courthouse for a Mock Trial session. Depsite the fact that we had to nudge him a time or two to join the speech and debate team (which Mock Trial falls under), he is thoroughly enjoying it.

Marie with a :-)

Many Maries...

It wasn't until the not-quite-hot-enough water in the shower startled me awake that the panic set in. How in the world was I going to get everything done today? Semi-professional procrastinator that I am, I had waited until the last minute for several things. Now it was time to pay the Piper and I was feeling out of sorts. As I ramsacked my closet, looking for clothes that still fit, I allowed my thoughts to drift to the idea of a cloned Marie. Even though I am fully aware that my family and friends would assure me that one Marie was more than enough, my mind came up with endless possibilites.

1.The Mindless Marie. This would be the one that accomplished all those menial tasks, with a loopy smile on her face. Dinner would be served on time, bathtub rings would disappear forever, laundry would always be done - folded AND put away, and there would be no worries about unexpected guests popping in... because the house would always be immaculate.

2. The Mothering Marie. This one would make sure that her children had eaten breakfast, brushed their teeth and completed their school work. She would be available at the drop of a hat when they said "Mom, can we go shopping?" She would always have the right answers to their random questions and would give sage advice to their life issues. She would never raise her voice and she would spontaneously take them on fun trips to the zoo, art museums, picnics or sledding. And of course she would be able to jump on the trampoline with them without worrying about whether her bladder would hold out...

3. The Mentoring Marie. This one would be diligent in her Bible studies and prayer life. She would have plenty of time for lunches with friends and once again, sage words would always come from her lips. She would be the one that her friends and children's friends looked to for wise counsel. She would never forget a friend's birthday and would always be there to encourage them when they were feeling down or to exhort them when they were heading in a potentially dangerous direction.

4. The Musing Marie. This one would play, play, play in the craft room! She would create unique and wonderful cards, scrapbooks and projects. She would be able to write amazing articles and books. And her craft room would never look like a tornado had struck.

5. The Memorizing Marie. She would know all of the important phone numbers: the school, the doctor, the dentist, and most importantly - each of her children's cell phone numbers. She would remember the date, time, weight and length of each of her children at birth. She would instantly recall where she put the birth certificates and tax paperwork, and would know exactly where the card with directions to the birthday party that they were supposed to be at an hour ago was placed. She would know which foods her children like today (as opposed to the ones they liked yesterday) and which ones they absolutely hate. (Those are more than likely last week's favorites...)

6. The Mushy Marie. This one would romance her husband daily. She would greet him at the door each day with a smile and a wink and would always prepare his favorite foods. She would fit into and wear the pretty lingerie he likes and not once would she say "let's dim the lights so my cellulite doesn't show."

I could go on and on. The truth is, there is only one me (I heard that collective sigh of relief!) and although I would love to do all things well, I fail miserably. I do, however, love every aspect of my life and hope that one day I will have it all together. (But you know the saying...then I will forget where I put it :-) )

Well, I'm off to tackle the to do list. I will post cards later today...if I manage to get them done.
Blessings to you,
Marie with a :-)

Just Be You

I have a quote by Thomas a Kempis hanging on the door to my craft wardrobe. It reads: He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of others. It is a quote that I am just beginning to live by. I wish I would have arrived here sooner. I confessed in an earlier post, that fear has often strong armed me and I specifically mentioned the fear of failure. But I think if I were to delve a little deeper into my heart, I would recognize that the fear of what others think has often been a controlling factor in my life as well. I'm at a season in my life, however, when I realize I can never please everyone and the only opinion I have to answer to is that of my Redeemer. It is such a liberating realization! For a long time, I have been somewhat concerned about how others might view Joshua, our second oldest son, and consequently judge Scott and me as parents. Josh has always bucked the system and has never been one to follow tradition. He has a lip ring, ear gauges and two tattoos (one a scripture, the other a bike route sign :-) ) But I consider it one of life's greatest blessings that he calls me best friend. While I am no fan of ear gauges, I love and respect the person that this young man is. He loves the Lord, has provided shelter for the homeless, is a leader in his home of eight (often more) Christian young men where weekly community outreach meals are provided. Joshua came over for a visit this afternoon. Typically when he comes, he has several other friends with him. He came alone today, and we sat and had some deep discussions. And I realized anew how much I admire him.

The cards I am posting today are once again pretty quick and easy cards. The theme is "Just be you" and they portray butterflies because I believe that we don't simply arrive one day at "me" - it's a journey or a metamorphosis. My journey has been shaped by my faith, my family and my friends. Who I am today is not who I was yesterday, and hopefully not who I will be tomorrow. Life is dynamic; it is ever changing, and I desire to keep up. .. as long as Jesus Christ is the catalyst. So here's my prayer for you...that you will learn to just be you, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Marie with a :-)

PS In case you didn't figure it out...the last photo is Josh :-)

Valentine's cards for Michelle and Alyssa

"He'll live." Matthew and I ventured out in the COLD (the it's-so-cold-I-don't-care-that-my-gloves-don't-match kind of cold) and made the short trek to the doctor's office. I was sure that he had strep. Nope, just a virus. "He'll live," the doctor assured me before we bundled back up and made a run for the van. The rest of the day I spent inside, trying to warm up. Right now I'm listening to the happy sounds of four kids playing Guitar Hero while Scott wrestles with tax forms. I seriously hope he wins!

Today's post includes two new Valentine's Day cards...one for Alyssa and one for Michelle. The "You put a sparkle in my heart" card was made a few months ago. I thought I'd also show Elizabeth's finished calendar page - the cause of yesterday's table mess. Not bad for a ten year old! Later, when Scott goes back to Ace to exchange an, um, toilet tank, I'll probably work on cards #368 and #369...I'll be at 400 soon so watch out :-)

Marie with a :-)

CTMH supplies I used for the cards: Key to My Heart paper pack, Noteworthy stamp set (D1329), Dream Wishes stamp set (D1331) , Priceless Love stamp set (D1348) and February Word Puzzle stamp set (D1269) Ink colors were tulip, juniper and black.

Altered Crystal Light container; Word of the Year

Fearless. I was challenged by another blogger to pick a one word theme for the year. A lot of words came to mind: content (I've pretty much got that one down), giving (of my time, money and abilities), social (I've become a little reticent about large gatherings), and so many more. But after much musing, I decided I wanted to be fearless this year. Scripture says God's perfect love casts out fear, yet I am so often strong armed and bound up by fear. Fear of failure, mostly. For example, for a very long time I've said I was going to have a card sale and try to get off the ground a (very small) business selling handmade cards and other paper crafts. I told myself (and my very encouraging husband) I would do it when I had 400 cards made and in stock. Funny thing is, once I got to 367, I started giving them away as fast as I could make them. I realized I was afraid of failing. So I'm going to take a leap of faith, and begin a year of fearless living! How about you...what one word theme could you give to your year that might change the way you live? I'd be delighted to hear...leave me a comment.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ

Okay, enough rambling. Here's a simple (took about 10 minutes) altered Crystal Light container that I am going to fill with chocolate and some craft embellishments for my youngest daughter for Valentine's Day. Beth is my cohort in crime in the craft room. She likes to be here as much as I do and she's one of the few people I know who can make as big of a mess as I can when working on a project. Right now, she's finishing up a calendar and this is what her table looks like.

Hope you have a wonderful (fearless) week!

Marie with a :-)

Valentine's Card for Scott

IMHO, making masculine cards is never quite as fun as making for girlfriends! Here's what I came up with for Scott's Valentine. I used the corner stamp from CTMH Legendary Moments(D1227) a sentiment from CTMH Sweet Talk (D1063), CTMH December Stamp of the Month, CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack (a January only special) and ribbon from who knows where!
Well, Matthew just called and I need to go pick him up from school...he's pretty sick :-(.

Criss Cross card

This card was inspired by several that I saw on the Close To My Heart art board. It uses one of my favorite CTMH paper packs - silhouette. It is for a special friend's birthday. The first picture shows the card with the tag inside. The top of the tag lifts up to include a place for a photo, gift card and poem/sentiment. It measures 5 1/2 x 4 1/4

My Wonderful Husband!

One of the things I appreciate about my husband is how quickly he accomplishes the things I like to have done around the house. I had this desk/hutch in our bedroom upstairs, and mentioned to my dh that it would be nice in my craft room. Less than 12 hours later, the transition was complete! Of course, he did get his drafting table back in its stead :-). My craft room is constantly a work in progress...and usually a mess, though I'm trying to get better about putting things away. It's a basement room, and the floor is all torn up ("we need to replace the floor...next year" has been a mantra for quite some time...) but it is one of my favorite places to be.

pocket calendar

For Christmas 2007, I recieved the coolest pocket calendar from one of my BFF's. I was kind of sad when 2008 came to an end and my calendar was no longer useable. Another friend made me a set of the calendar pages on her computer and I was able to create one for myself this year, using the Bind-It-All. It measures only 5" x 5" and fits in most purses.

January Workshop

I have been a consultant with Close To My Heart for nearly two years and love what I do.

My sister, who is also a CTMH consultant, requested pictures from my January workshop so here goes. The top two pictures are the tables before guests arrive. In the last picture I am looking over everything to see if I have forgotten anything.

Okay, so I've done it. Started the blogspot that I've said for months and months I was going to start. I still have mixed feelings about facebook and the sense of voyeurism it sometimes stirs up, so I'm uncertain as to how much I'll share here. It will, however, be a place to post the papercraft work that friends have been asking me to post. I have a long way to go with the photography skills, but that is on the 2009 to do list... Happy looking! Marie with a :-)

This simple card is for you, my encouraging friends! It uses all Close To My Heart products: The December Stamp of the Month, Solo F stamp set, tulip ink, brads,sparkles and the Key To My Heart paper set - this paper pack (which I LOVE!) will only be sold until January 31st, 2009 as a January special.