Gratitudes and Celebration Week 22 - You are Wonderful!

Did anyone ever tell you that you were wonderful, no? yes? what ever your answer I thought that I would remind you that you are!

I know this post is about what I am grateful for and celebrate, but that is just it, your part of that celebration!  If you have taken the time to visit my blog and read my posts you have shared a snippet of my world.  In my post last week I said no man is an island.... we are all connected somehow whether you want to be or not.

Today I want you to know that I think you are wonderful and are a blessing, and whether you comment or not, I want to remind you about that hidden talent you have, the one your weren't sure about revealing or the creative thoughts you have been wrestling with that wanted to be worked on, but you were feeling insecure about.  Even that video that you were going to make or those pictures that you wanted to take, I wanted to encourage you that even when you don't feel wonderful, someone (me) thinks you are - now go and shine your light!

Today I am grateful for you!  You have come a long way - there have been many doors and ups and downs. You know when you have persevered or nearly thrown in the towel but you kept going, you know you have and I celebrate your life. Now that you have been reminded that you are wonderful how does it make you feel?  I would love to hear from you and share what you will be tackling next.

As this week draws to a close can you think of the beautiful things in your life. Do leave a comment and have a blessed weekend!
If you want to see how I made the journal (click here)

Gratitude's and Celebration - Life is what you make it - Week 15

Gratitude and Celebration Journal - Week 15 - Life is what you make it!

We don't know what will happen each day and do not have any control over certain situations, but one thing we do have control over is how we react and respond.

We can choose today to see our situation in a totally new light, we can focus on all the possibilities that can come our way, the new learning and the ability to be able to go through the process.

I am grateful for the grace to deal with the situations that come my way, to be discerning of those things that I can change and the steps I can make.  For those things that are out of my control - I am grateful for the patience that has been birthed within me.

I celebrate today the space to be able to share my thoughts and encourage others on their journey.

As this week draws to a close can you think of the areas that are out of your control that you need to reassess and start to focus on the things that you can do? Do leave a comment and let me know what you plan. Have a blessed weekend!

If you want to see how I made the journal (click here)

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal Week 10 - Miracles

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal Week 10

It has been one of those days where 'stuff' happens and it is all related to the care of my mum and waiting on others who have to make decisions that affects her care.  I will share next week as this is to just focus on the celebrations and gratitude's of the week and I know the miracles are around the corner..

The page reads ....What miracles await you

Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....
 

 
Take a moment to think about what you can be thankful for today and what potential miracles await you!  - and then go out and do an one small thing for someone else!  Blessings for the weekend! 

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 9 - There is so much to be thankful for..

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 9

The page reads ....Inspire -There is so much to be thankful for...

Take a moment to stop and just sit in all that you are blessed to see and do.  Be that someone who goes on to inspire others.  Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....

Take a moment to think about what you can be thankful for today - and then go out and do an one small thing for someone else!  Blessings for the weekend!

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 8 - Treat yourself with Kindness

 Gratitude and Celebration Journal Week 8

 The page reads - Treat yourself with kindness....

 We can sometimes forget that we need to nurture ourselves and when we stop and treat ourselves as special we open ourselves up and unlock hidden treasures!

Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....

Take a moment to think about how you can be kind to yourself today - and then go out and do an act of kindness to someone else!  Take a moment to think about how you can inspire others.  Blessings for the weekend!

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 7

Gratitude and Celebration Journal Week 7

The page reads - Don't endure your life, enjoy it

 
We can get really hung up about how things are while we are in the moment and forget that we can take action, one small action every day can bring about change on the bigger scale.....

Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for...

What small change can you make today?  Have a blessed weekend.

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 6 - You Inspire!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal Week 6

The page reads - You inspire others to be who they were called to be.....

Each of our lives inpacts on someone somewhere around the world, what are the hidden talents do you need to bring to the light?


Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....

Take a moment to think about who inspires you - if you are able to let them know encourage them to keep going!  Also take a moment to think about how you can inspire others.  Blessings for the weekend!

Graititudes and Celebration Journal - Week 2 Letting the Love In

Week 2 of my Gratitudes and Celebration Journal.  Letting the love in - sometimes we forget to show ourselves some love.  How are we to love others if we can't love ourselves.

Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....

What are you grateful for this week, and what one thing can you celebrate about yourself?  Blessings!

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 1 - Shine some light!

Here is the first week of my Gratititudes and Celebration Journal.  I really enjoyed creating this page, we don't need a reason to be creative, and I intend to 'shine some light' into all those places that need reviving, restouring, nurturing each and every day.

 Here is the page once I have noted some of the things that I celebrate and am grateful for....

What are you grateful for this week, and what one thing can you celebrate about yourself?

Blessings for the weekend

Gratitudes and celebration Journal - New beginnings

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After a year of writing on a weekly basis those things that I am grateful for I thought I would start creating a gratitude's journal.  It is easier to look back at the months and see those things that I was grateful for alongside a piece of creativity.  We don't have to have a reason to create as it is a form of expression, so all the more reason to do something.  I will create a weekly page and show you the before and after and write something that I am grateful for and something that I am celebrating.  I am showing up on these pages for myself, as a reminder to how precious my life is, and as a reminder that 'All things are possible', we just have to step out each and every day!

I have made the journal from fabric and enclosed a selection of cards all different sizes as signatures, they are quite thick card so will take watercolours and any other mediums.

Cards made into signatures

Here is some of the detail from the journal.  I have used cowrie shells, beads and seed beads and attached them to the different types of material used for the journal.

 It is a chunky journal and I have used a ranged of different types of material and embellishments including buttons and ribbons.

Back view of the Fabric journal

I hope you will join me each Friday and share what you are doing, comment, link your posts and just have fun.

Celebration - Creating in Faith

We don’t usually celebrate on a daily basis and its generally left to those special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings, but I think that we should be celebrating a lot more things.

This month I am taking part in the A-Z April Challenge which you would have gathered if you have been here before, or not if this is your fist time. I decided that my focus for the month of April would be celebrating life, looking at those parts of my life that I am thankful for, the qualities I overlook and take time to acknowledge them.  We have such a fast paced lives we generally tend to forget just how much we have achieved and that we need to be thankful for our lives.  So today, I ask you to join me in a celebration  to acknowledge how far you have come but not only that, whatever your current circumstances, you have the opportunity to experience something different today.

A celebration of the breath we take, for being alive and being able to sit in the sun with the gentle breeze blowing against our cheeks. Yes today I celebrate the love that God has for me, that he loved me so much that he gave his only son. 

Today you get to impact on the world, what will you do, how will you appreciate what you have today, what can you do to work towards the dreams, plans and goals you have.  How will you celebrate and acknowledge your life this coming week?

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take delight in you, he will quiet you with his love.  He will rejoice over you with singing Haggai 3:17

The Week that was....

I have had a busy couple of weeks,  It is still wet and windy here in London,  but luckily every now and then the rays of sunshine continue to tease us of pastures filled with palm trees, the rushing back and forth of the waves and the soft sand between our toes....in the meantime its a toss up of deciding whether or not to dig out my winter wear and thick socks.  The garden is picking up and the Arboriculturist are trimming the trees outside the house which makes them look slightly bare at the moment.  

The neighbours cat still seems smitten with my garden and just comes over and sits on an old chair at the back of the garden sunning himself.  He still has an expression of disdain as if I have interrupted an important meeting.

I have been doing a mixed bag of things this week, alongside work. I love being in the studio, and  I have been working on some of the sessions in the 21 Secrets and will be sharing some of the art that I have been doing.  

After coming to the end of the 365 days of colour, I celebrated with having a massage.  I will be doing another challenge and be sharing some of the digital art work that I have been doing with my photography.  I will also be contributing to Motley Soul and Mika's Create in Faith Group we share our faith, our creativity and so much more!  Here is a page from my prayer journal.

Health wise, started doing some walking again, I also came across nutritionalist Daphne Cohn and I am taking part in her challenge.  She has a range of recipes that she will send you and they are delicious. I made one this week using the following:  

Handful of spinach, 5 x cabbage leaf, Half iceberg lettuce, Nob of ginger, Cup of water, 2 bananas, 1 pear, Fruit sweetener

All of this made 1.5 litres primarily because of the fruits and especially the lettuce is 70% water.  Daphne has got a 10 day challenge going where she sends you ideas and advice for a variety of green smoothies.  

Last week I gave a talk to a group of social workers about my role as a carer and was able to use some creative exercises to enable them to look at how they relate to different issues in their own life and the experiences that a carer can feel, it was interesting to be on the other side of the coin and get a different perspective of my role through their eyes and talk about the role in a positive light. I will be doing more talks and sharing some of the creative tools I have been using.

Our City of London Festival officially begins this weekend and there are over 100 events running until 27th July, I am hoping to go to a few and will share any pictures I take. The fun starts tomorrow with a tour of the Bank of England, and on Sunday running until 13th July - there will be 50 Street pianos just waiting to be played at a variety of locations around London.  

And finally, my son has finished his exams - a big WELL DONE goes out to him, routines have changed and there is now talk of learning to drive and A'Levels which he will be pursuing in September.  He has his Prom dance next week and went out and got a suit, he looks so mature in it, and has grown a bit bigger and currently towers over me at around 6ft 2.  Time has flown indeed.... 

Hope you have a blessed weekend!

365 Days of Colour - Flower for the Day - 363 - 365

Celebration

There is a time for celebration, and if no one else will blow your trumpets, then blow your own, you have come this far, take a look back from where you travelled from and know that you have touched lives along the way.....

It has been a real blessing to be on the journey of the 365 days of colour.  I have been blessed to have been able to photograph some wonderful flowers, alongside scriptures and quotes that have blessed and inspired me.  I celebrate all those who have accompanied me on this journey and left comments, or just taken a peek.  I have developed my photography along the way and have a wealth of images that I am so looking forward to manipulating in one form or the other.  It is amazing to see how quickly the year has passed since my first post, and I look forward to starting another year long challenge!

Day 363

 Reflection

Celebrate your talents..

Quote 

As an experienced artist, I carry my work like a secret pregnancy. I am always aware of inner life and the need to protect it. ...Julia Cameron

Scripture 

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Day 364

 

Reflection

Dry off your wings and get ready!

Quote 

I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end. But that’s all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don’t conclude that the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars? -- Unknown

Scripture 

The Lord is not slow about His promise...but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

Day 365

 

Reflection

Your experiences made you stronger, use your strength

Quote 

Getting there is not half the fun—it is ALL the fun. ...Robert Townsend

Scripture 

The mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My loving kindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says the Lord who has compassion on you  Isaiah 54:10

Because its a leap year this year, you get an extra flower!

Day 366

Reflection

Celebrate your blessings...

Quote 

The painting leads the painter, and it becomes an intuitive experience. ...Ardath Davis

Scripture 

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Happy New Year - January 2012 - Try something new

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With the New Year comes new challenges, goals, dreams desires, and I am really excited to seeing what seeds will bear fruit.  This month I will be having a clear out - 30 things in 30 days, I will be going through all my belongings and seeing what can be re-purposed, recycled, given to charity or sold. I love collecting things and have many things that you think 'that will come in handy for something', and then 5 years later you still haven't used it. I find it especially with mixed media, there are so many things that you can use within your creativity that enables you to hold on to different supplies.

For the month of January everything will need to have a specific purpose, and properly stored and labelled.  In short I want to be more organised and having a clear out is one of the best ways. I will be doing a video update as well - we will see how this goes, might just be a weekly one to begin with.   I have definitely found that doing the challenges has made me more accountable and 30 days goes so quickly

Thanks for all the comments and support for my blog over the years, looking forward to new adventures, and making friendships with so many talent artists around the world, it's really a blessing, and I know that there are definitely exciting things ahead for us all as we step out of our comfort zones and have faith that he who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it......

What will you challenge yourself to do for January?

Fireworks Night

With yesterday being fireworks night our usual routine would be to go to our local park and watch the fireworks on display.  Hundreds of people would turn up and you would hear the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and watch the children run about with their flashing fluorescent tubes which only seem to come out on the night only to run out of batteries 2 days later.

When we were younger I remember the kids with their 'guys' lovingly or not put together with their dads old trousers and shirt, and then placed to lounge on the pavement or their sister's pram as they shouted 'penny for the guy'.  The poor guy would later be loaded up on the bonfire and set alight, the pennies that were collected from passers by used to by sparklers, or sweets.  The crowd would count down to the launching of the first fireworks, amidst the laughter and the smells that wafted on the night of roasted chestnuts alongside onions frying for the burger and hot dog stands.

The night air was cold and uninviting, but we were well wrapped up.  The firework display then seemed spectacular as a child, the loud noises as they whizzed and whooshed, and then the lingering smoke that drifted through the neighbourhood as the last firework fizzled out. At that the crowd would disperse, children happy, looking forward to getting home into the warmth and a hot drink. 

This Saturday we totally forgot about the fireworks display until Sekani reminded us...as much as I really like fireworks we were too settled by that time and decided to enjoy the neighbours efforts.  They had some really pretty ones and I enjoyed it without the hat, gloves and scarf, in the comfort of my own home and got these pictures!  We have Sekani's 16th birthday coming up and he has requested fireworks in the garden!  We might also make an effort to go to Central London to see the new year celebration fireworks as it will be the first time and really welcome in 2012!  How will you be welcoming the new year in?